


A Maze of Moments - Book Two: Senior Year

by RealDaveofDaves



Series: The Maze of Moments - A Clay and Justin Story [16]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bedrooms, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Courtroom Drama, Disney, Family, Family Fluff, Protective Justin Foley, Road Trips, Some Canon, Vulnerable Clay Jensen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-04-05 06:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19042828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealDaveofDaves/pseuds/RealDaveofDaves
Summary: The second book of "A Maze of Moments," detailing the events of the summer of 2018, and the 2018-2019 school year!





	1. A Place to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Justin gets his own room, to the discomfort of Clay...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the canon of the Mazeverse, this comes immediately after chapter twenty-five of "A Maze of Moments Book One," and within the context of the one-shots "The Little Black Dog" and "The Heart of the Matter," as well as chapter four of "This Time."

 

 

 _I walk the Maze of Moments_  
_But everywhere I turn to_  
_Begins a new beginning_  
_But never finds a finish_  
_I walk to the horizon_  
_And there I find another_  
_It all seems so surprising_  
_And then I find that I know_

  - from "Anywhere Is," by Enya

 

 

 

 

"I'm hungry."

"I am, too. We'll eat lunch soon."

"My feet hurt."

"So do mine. That's why we sat down."

"I want to go home."

"Clay."

"Dad. We've been here _two hours_ already. How long is this going to take?"

Matthew Jensen rolled his eyes and sighed, then turned his head to look at his older son. "Clay, come on. Have a little patience. This means a lot to your Mom and brother."

"Why couldn't we just....I dunno, get stuff from the catalog and have it delivered?"

"Because, Justin should have the chance to pick out his own furniture and see what it would look like in person. You know as well as I do that he's never really had his own things like this before, this is important to him. Think about it, he gets to arrange and decorate his own room. You saw how excited he was when he got here, and Mom is in her element. Do you honestly think I want to be at IKEA on a Saturday?"

Justin Foley-Jensen. It was now official as of two days ago, following a simple and moving court proceeding and then a party with friends and family later that afternoon and well into the evening. The previous school year now having come to its end and the events therein well behind them, Clay and Justin had not only adjusted to living with each other, they came to forge a bond as brothers. For his part, Clay - who had always wanted a brother - not only came to love Justin as his sibling, but saw him as the 'big brother' in their relationship, in spite of the fact that he was the older of the two by a few months. Meanwhile Justin, who had not only turned over a new leaf but was pretty much growing a brand new forest of trees, had embraced Clay as his 'little brother' after witnessing Montgomery de la Cruz attack him in the hall of Liberty High back at the tail end of spring. Prior to that, he would refer to Clay as his roommate, or at times when he let his guard down as his foster brother. But after that incident, and especially when clay was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, he stepped up and stepped forward and took on that role without hesitation. No more 'foster' anything, they were _brothers_. End of story, full stop.

In the days leading up to the adoption, the spare room down the hall from Clay's, which was always supposed to be a bedroom anyway for a long-desired second Jensen child, was cleaned out of the amalgamation of items and vacuumed in preparation for Justin acquiring it as his own. All it needed now was to be painted. 

And, it needed furniture. Which is to say, Justin needed furniture.

One late afternoon, Clay had come home to find his mother and Justin sitting at the kitchen table. Lainie was flipping through the IKEA catalog that had come in the mail that day, while Justin had his laptop opened up to the store's webpage. Each was looking at various pieces, making a little excited comment here or there.

"The Koppang is nice," Lainie commented as she pointed out a chest of drawers. "I like the fact that it has feet so it doesn't sit flush to the floor."

Justin nodded. "True. Did you see the Kullen? Oooh, how about the Malm?" he asked, turning the computer over so she could take a look.

"Oh, I do like that one."

"Brown? Or black-brown?"

"Well, let's see. You want the accent wall to be red....so the black-brown would look nice up against it."

Clay walked behind them to look over their shoulders.

"Yeah! What about the smaller chest? Here, take a look...it has two drawers, so I could put that next to the bed."

Clay leaned forward a little. "You two are _way_ too into this."

"Hi, honey. Sit down, help us pick some things out."

"Yeah, bro! I like this one, what do you think?"

"It's a dresser. It has drawers. Bang, perfect."

"But look at all the styles they have!"

"I can see that. There's...a lot."

"Oh, let me go back to this tab, I wanna show you this table I found. Dude, it's _sick_..."

"You know," Lainie said, "there's an IKEA just outside of Oakland. Why don't we go and look at all of this in person?"

"Wait. They have a store? Like, it's not just a catalog or online?" Justin - who never would have had cause or reason to go to IKEA prior to living with his new family, and was therefore unfamiliar with the store - asked excitedly, turning to look at her.

"Uh..." Clay straightened up, sensing where this was going. "You know, I bet if you order online..."

"Sure, it's a chain. Justin, you'll love it, you can take your time and browse through the whole selection and picture how things would look in your room. And they have all kinds of accessories and decorations."

"They have...you know, there's furniture stores here in town.." Clay tried again.

"Okay, yeah! We can, like, take pictures of the room and bring those up while we look. That would help, right?"

"Sure! We can all go on Saturday, make a day of it."

"Um. We?"

Lainie turned to look at Clay. "Of course, you and your father can help pick things out."

"We can?"

"Yeah, bro! I want you to help me! I mean...I don't want it to look exactly like our room now or whatever, but since we'll have two rooms now to hangout in, you should be there."

"Right. So...like, they have furniture stores in town, like I said. Thoughts?"

"Honey, IKEA is an experience, you know that. It'll be fun!"

"Fun?"

"We can eat lunch there, make a day of it."

"Wait. Lunch? There?" Justin asked.

"They have food service....you'll see, the Swedish meatballs are so good! You'll love them!

"Okay! This is gonna be great! Right, bro?"

"Um....doesn't your work have an employee discount or something?"

"Clay, dude...I'm not going to get furniture from Walplex. I mean, like maybe some small stuff here and there, but not like all this."

And so, that was how the Jensen family found themselves at the IKEA in Emeryville, just three miles outside of Oakland. As they walked inside, Justin's eyes went wide while he took in the sheer enormity of it all.

"Jesus," he said under his breath as Clay walked up next to him. "This place is gigantic!"

"Yeah. So, like, when the zombie apocalypse happens, I say we hide out here. It's big enough. They'd never find us." Clay said to his brother, who was now looking around in awe.

"Justin, let's make our way to the bedroom showrooms first, and then we can look at things like wall hangings," Lainie suggested.

Two hours of walking around, looking at and pondering various items, writing down numbers to indicate the location of various pieces in the warehouse area, bringing up phones to look at the room from different angles, taking pictures of dressers and end tables and side lamps and beds - and Clay had had enough. Sticking to a promise to his mother that he would be in a good mood and helpful through it all for the first half hour was easy enough. By the end of the first hour, his patience was starting to wear a tad thin. An hour and a half, and he was getting grumpy. Two hours, and he was downright sour, and went to sit down on a display couch, Matt joining him.

"I can think of one thousand better ways to spend a Saturday. A thousand and one."

"Yes, so can I, and then some. Clay, son...come on."

"Dad. They have fifteen more minutes and then I'm going to seriously consider calling an Uber."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Lyft?"

Before Matt could reply in some way, Lainie and Justin came over to join them. "Okay, so I think we have it narrowed down. Matt, we'll show you and Clay while we eat, get some last opinions."

"Yes. Finally," Clay threw up his hands and got to his feet.

"Somebody is cranky and needs food," Lainie smirked.

"Somebody is cranky, needs food, and wants to go home."

"Mathopen or Hornsund," Justin said to himself, scrolling back and forth between two pictures on his phone.

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Clay asked as they walked in the direction of the cafeteria.

 

* * *

 

Furniture having been chosen, bought and paid for and delivery arranged, all that was left was to paint Justin's room. Since it would be delivered on Tuesday, the brothers took Monday to do the painting.

In the days leading up to the adoption proceedings, Clay had gone through a few bouts of depression and his anxiety acting up. Some of it had to do with the fact that he needed to forgive Justin for everything that had happened in the last school year, which he really had never done up to that point, even if he certainly acted as if all of that wasn't bothering him. They had talked it out on several occasions, and Justin apologized numerous times, but it took a solitary run for Clay to realize that he had never said those three words to his new brother, and deep down it was bothering him. It was a step in allowing himself the gift of forgiveness for his own failings or shortcomings. The other incidents were part of his PTSD or his own introspection. These were characteristics that made him who he was now, there was no escaping them. The medication and therapy sessions helped, a great deal truth be told, but even with all of that there were moments where he found himself in a dark place.

While he wasn't in a dark place now, exactly, it wasn't a very good one either.

The previous day, Sunday, as Justin was cleaning the windows of his new room for what had to be the tenth time, Clay stood in the doorway, leaning against it, and watched. Sadly. That's when a friend of his decided to make an appearance and give a little nudge. This, of course, was his psyche, his "inner voice" who had described himself (itself?) as the pre-tapes Clay who was uninjured and gave some help and advice every so often.

 

_You going to tell him?_

Oh. Hey.

_Hi. How did you manage not to lose your shit yesterday at IKEA?_

Wasn't easy.

_I bet. So anyway. You going to tell him? Talk about it?_

Tell him what and talk about what?

_Come on, Clay. You know._

Yeah. I do. I dunno....

_If you don't, it's just going to make you feel worse._

Maybe.

_That didn't sound convincing._

It...it'll be fine.

_Clay. You can tell him, you know that. He won't laugh or anything._

No, I...I know.

 

"Oh, hey bro," Justin had turned around and saw Clay standing there. "What's up?" he asked, bending down to pick up the bottle of Windex.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just watching I guess."

"What, need proof I do manual labor around here?" Justin grinned. "Hey, so tomorrow. It won't take us too long I don't think, like a couple of coats for each wall, then the trim. I'm taking us to lunch tomorrow, too."

Clay pushed himself off the door frame. "You are? Why?"

"Because. You gave up part of your Saturday and you didn't have to do that. And you're gonna help with the paint and the furniture and all that. So," Justin shrugged.

"That's...thanks, JJ," Clay said quietly, using the new nickname he bestowed upon his brother while on a run the day after the adoption. "You don't have to do that."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to." Justin turned and looked around the empty room. "I think the bed will go against the wall over there, like yours. That way it opens the room up a lot more. Over in the corner is where the stand is gonna go. Remember, I told you about the tv at work that's on sale?" Justin turned back and saw the sad look that had returned to Clay's face. "Hey...what's wrong?"

Clay shook his head.

_Go on. It's okay, Clay._

"Clay?" Justin walked over to Clay and put a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"

"I don't want you to go," Clay said softly before looking down at his feet and biting his lower lip.

"Go? Where am I goi- oh. Oh, wait. Oh, shit...I get it." Putting an arm around Clay's shoulders, he walked him into the empty room. "Bro...the only place I'm going is about ten steps down the hall from your bedroom, that's all."

" _Our_ room."

"Yes. Our room, you're right. It always will be. And now, so will this. We'll have two rooms to hang out in and do whatever, this is your room in a way, too, you know. That's why I wanted you there to help pick out things, and you chose some awesome stuff for the walls and all."

"Y-yeah. I know. But I want you to stay with me. I'm just used to you...I feel better when..."

"Hey, I know," Justin brought Clay in for a hug. "I know you do. And you can always come crash in here if you want, the bed will be big enough." He kissed the top of his brother's head and stepped out of the hug, putting his hands on Clay's shoulders. "And I'll probably come sleep in the other room, too. But Clay, bro...we each need our own space. You know? Don't think I haven't heard you grunt under your breath when I come upstairs sometimes when you're reading or drawing or whatever."

Clay laughed a little and did his half-smile. "Yeah...I do kinda need to be by myself sometimes."

"Okay then, see? Look, we have another place to...just _be_. You, me, the Gang, whomever, it's gonna be awesome. Think of it like one big room, not two."

"Maybe we can talk Mom and Dad into cutting out a door in the wall."

"Well, yeah...but then you'd have to move your bed and that would make it look all awkward and shit. So...maybe not?"

"Yeah. Maybe not."

"Clay...you are always welcome in here. Okay? Except for when the door is closed and there's like...a shoelace or something tied on the knob," Justin winked.

"Oh my God, do you remember when I walked in on you..." Clay lifted his arm and made the stroking motion with a closed fist.

Justin laughed. "Which is exactly why there's gonna be a shoelace. Or just knock. But hey, I'm serious. If you ever feel like, scared, or whatever at night, if it gets bad? How about I sleep with the door not all the way closed. You just come in here and I'll know why."

Clay nodded. "Okay. Yeah, okay. Cool. Thanks, JJ, I didn't know how to...like, talk about..."

Bringing his hand up, Justin caressed the back of Clay's head tenderly. "I know. It's okay, little brother. You feel better now that you did?"

Clay nodded again.

"Good. Now how about I show you how I'm going to arrange the dressers."

"When did you get all feng shui? Seriously."

"When did I get all what the fuck now?"

 

* * *

 

Room painted, furniture built (and Clay "helping" here was interesting to say the least, as Justin had to explain four times the difference between a flat head and a Phillips head screwdriver, and no, they were not interchangeable, and yes, it really did matter which one had to be used...much to Matt's amusement), all that was left was to hang various posters and wall decorations and arrange some pictures.

"This one is going over the nightstand," Justin explained, holding the piece titled "A Brother" that Clay bought for him to celebrate the adoption. "Right above the lamp. That way I can see it every night before I go to bed."

"Dude...okay, so if you wanna make me cry, that'll do it."

"I think that's a perfect place for it Justin. And very sweet of you," Lainie nodded her approval.

"I'm going to have to draw something for you to hang up."

"Yeah?" Justin asked while hammering a nail. "Something super hero?"

"Maybe."

After hanging up Clay's gift, he stepped back and joined his family in looking around his bedroom. _His_. For the first time in months, he had a room of his own, spacious and welcoming, comfortable and perfect to hang out in with his brother or their friends - even his parents for that matter. The walls were a charcoal gray, with the exception of the one separating his room from Clay's. That one was red - not too bright, not too dark, a perfect medium. He could see in his head the pictures he planned to place around the room of himself with Clay, with Matt and Lainie, Jessica, all of their friends. He even had a small one of Amber, which he had shyly asked if it would be all right if he had out. He could imagine the room full of people and life, laughter and perhaps even some intimacy with Jess at some point. He thought of all the late nights he'd spend in here with Clay, talking about whatever, making plans or just hanging out. After all, as he had explained, it was his room as well. In fact, he planned on asking his brother if he wanted to pick out something unique, something special, to put in here - maybe a couple of things - to help reinforce the notion that he was _always_ welcome and he belonged here.

"Well, Justin," Matt interrupted his thoughts, "you did a fantastic job. Everything looks great. It's a perfect room for a young man."

"It's a place to be," Justin agreed with a nod.

"That's an excellent way of putting it."

"Wow."

"What?"

"It's...I always wanted something like this. Not some cramped little space, or a mattress on the floor...this is...it's amazing. And...I did it. Like....this is really mine."

Lainie hugged her adopted son from behind. "All yours, sweetie."

"Good job, bro," Clay gently and in a brotherly way punched Justin's arm.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that night, Clay and Justin almost bumped into each other in the hall after changing into bedclothes.

"Oh. I was just coming to say goodnight," Clay explained.

"Yeah...I was gonna do the same."

"So. This is it."

"Yeah. This is it."

"This feels....weird. Like, good weird, I suppose. But, weird all the same."

"I know," Justin nodded. "You gonna be okay? Like I said, right down the hall, ten steps and all that."

"I'll....yeah. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Mhmm."

Justin thought for a moment. "You know. Since the room needs to be broken in and all...you wanna...you know. Crash in there with me? We could break it in together."

"I...no, I'm good."

"You sure?"

Clay thought for a moment. "Um...."

"Dumbass, it's okay. Look, I don't work until tomorrow evening. Neither do you. Right? How about you break in the room with me and we can stay up and just talk or watch a movie, then we can go to sle- where are you going?"

Clay had turned and went quickly back to his own room. Justin could hear a lot of rustling coming from what had to be the closet, and after another minute or two, Clay came back out into the hall, a sleeping bag and a pillow under his arm.

"I knew this thing would come in handy at some point," he explained.

"You have a sleeping bag?"

"Long story."

"Apparently. So...what're you..."

"You should at least have the chance to sleep in your own bed by yourself the first night. Right? I'll unroll this and crash on the floor."

"Clay, the bed is plenty big. Why do you think I picked that one out?"

"So you can make snugglebunnies with Jess?"

"Well, that, yeah....but...I did that, just in case you ever...you know."

Clay smiled. "Yeah. I know. Well, come on. How about we start the Harry Potter movies?"

Justin smiled back. "Great idea."

Putting an arm around Clay and pulling him in for a side hug, the brothers walked ten steps down the hall to Justin's bedroom. Officially, anyway. Each knew, though, that it was going to be that shared space, just as Justin had described it, their place. A place for movie marathons, playful teasing, late night talks from the heart, and so much more besides.

After all. It was a place to be.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drum roll please.
> 
> WELCOME TO BOOK TWO OF "A MAZE OF MOMENTS!!"
> 
> Hi Mazers! At long last, we have arrived! It is the summer prior to and then senior year for the Deranged Over Protective Scooby Gang, along with their families and friends and even a few associated original characters that will pop up from time to time! 
> 
> Almost one year ago, I put finger to keyboard and started what I thought would be a story that maybe a few people might enjoy. Well, here we are, almost to the day, and the Mazeverse just keeps on going strong. I am so in love with my little world of 13 Reasons Why fan fiction and this world I have created, and I am so very happy to share it with each of you! Thank you SO much for reading it and being a part of my creative process. Your feedback and comments have always been such a huge help to me, and I can never show my appreciation enough.
> 
> So where are we going in this story? Oh...lots and lots of places! The first several chapters will have to do with the summer months of 2018, and we have a long promised road trip to cover (Disney!!), as well as a few other things! Big things! The other short stories/one-shots fit in here as appropriate, as does "This Time," which wrapped up and is more or less folded into this story. 
> 
> If you read my holiday trilogy then you know some MAJOR events are on their way as well, but those will be way down the line.
> 
> Now, if you're wondering how Ye Writer will work in the new season - once it comes out - well...that makes two of us lol. Never fear though, I shall endeavor to do so when and where appropriate.
> 
> So once again - thank you for your kudos, comments and feedback. Don't forget I'm over at Tumblr where I'd love to talk to you all and get your thoughts and ideas. As always, stay tuned, Clay and Justin will return, very soon!
> 
> Welcome aboard, everyone!


	2. Some Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which Clay testifies at Monty's trial....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No specific warning, but details of events in season two are referenced. Also, Ye Writer makes no claim to being a legal expert.

 

_But let justice run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.  
_

   - Amos 5:24

 

 

 _California v. Montgomery de la Cruz_ was nearing the end of its first week, and the day had arrived where Clay would be called to testify. He had been interviewed by the assistant district attorney two weeks earlier, before the trial began, about the abusive behavior Monty exhibited at Liberty, some of the things he had done in the lead up and during what came to be known as Hannah's Trial, and most specifically about the assault on Clay towards the end of the school year. While he recognized that his testimony would be crucial and could most likely help in a conviction and justice for Tyler Down, this was the last thing Clay wanted to do. Bad enough he had suffered a concussion, which directly led to his PTSD diagnosis. But to be put through something like this a second time, testifying in court, was making him a nervous wreck.

That morning before leaving for the courthouse, Justin walked down the hall and was about to go downstairs, when he heard his brother muttering and swearing to himself from inside his bedroom. Changing direction, Justin walked in and saw Clay struggling with his tie in front of the mirror.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Fine. Never better. Peachy. Just fucking....what the  _hell_ is wrong with this thing?!....perfect!" Clay replied, while looking down and fumbling as he attempted to knot it correctly. "Goddammit!"

Justin walked over and gently put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Take it easy. Here, let me help, turn around."

Sighing, Clay did so, and Justin loosened the tie and pulled it off of Clay, placing it around his own neck and stepping in front of the mirror. "Look, don't let anything get to you today. Tell your truth and Monty will go away for a long time, and we can put this past us."

Watching his brother arrange and then execute a perfect, if loose, Windsor knot reminded Clay of a similar morning earlier in the year, and in spite of how edgy he was, he still smiled to himself for just a second before the reality of the day came back upon him again. "I'm not worried about talking about what happened to me. Well...okay, maybe I am a little. But, Drummond mentioned that Monty's lawyer might ask some shit that could twist things around and make me look bad."

"Yeah, well fuck him if he does. Whatever you did is nothing compared to that asshole, the jury will see that."

"I...if I have to go into detail about stuff. With Hannah, the tapes, everything that happened....if they make me rehash all of it and name names and all that..."

"Clay, that won't come up..."

"You don't know that Justin, and neither do I. But if it does, if Monty's lawyer gets into it for whatever reason....JJ, if I have to talk about you in any way. I...I just want you to know...it's only because he'll be asking and I'll be under oath. I swear I'm not mad at you about any of that anymore. Okay?"

"No, I get it. But why would I come up in any of this?"

"Because, Justin. You were there for....things. You were in the car when Monty was driving, the big fight in the hall, you tackled Monty after he hit me. Get it? And you're still on probation. So, this guy might use a lot of that to...get me worked up or trip up somehow when I'm on the stand."

"It's fine. Look, if I come up, then I come up. Just answer his questions and do what you can to put Monty's ass behind bars."

"I just don't want you to get mad at me or anything."

"Bro, I won't. I promise." Justin pulled the tie over his head and turned around, placing it over Clay's and down, arranging it and pulling up the knot, tightening it. "You heard what Scotty and Zach are trying to do, yeah?"

"Yeah...I don't know if it'll work though..."

"Give it a chance. If it does, that'll make sure Monty's toast for sure."

"You really think they can find out who else was in the bathroom and that they'll turn on Monty? Or that Wlodimierz knows anything?"

Justin made some last adjustments and folded down Clay's collar, then buttoned it. "I don't know...I didn't know the baseball players all that well, so no telling. As for Coach Wlodimierz, he's going to cover his own ass no matter what so I wouldn't count on that. Anyway...there. All done."

Clay stepped to the side and looked at himself in the mirror and smoothed down the tie. "You really are the big brother, you know that?"

Smiling, Justin patted Clay's back. "I learned from the best. Grab your coat and let's get downstairs."

 

* * *

 

Standing outside the courtroom, Clay huddled with Justin, Zach, Alex and Tony. Matt and Lainie had already gone inside.

"I'm going to meet Scott and talk to a few more guys, see what they know and heard. Alex will keep me updated and I'll get back here as soon as I can. You got this, man," Zach reassured his friend.

"You sure about all this? I mean, this kind of sounds like a fool's errand if you ask me."

"Clay," Tony interjected, "give it a chance, we won't know unless Dempsey tries."

"Has it worked so far?"

"Clay, c'mon," Alex said. "You know these guys, they're going to watch out for their own first and foremost. But now that some of the details are starting to come out, maybe that'll convince a few of them that their teammates are assholes. No offense, Zach..."

"None taken. It'll be all right, Clay...I'll be back, hang in there."

As Zach walked off and Tony and Alex walked in the direction of the court, Justin stopped and reached out for Clay, holding him back. "Hang on."

"What's up?"

"Listen. You're doing a really brave fucking thing, you know that? You could have declined to testify, but you didn't, and it's going to make a huge difference. What you do in there today is going to make sure Tyler gets justice and Monty gets what's coming to him. I'm really fucking proud of you."

"Thanks, JJ."

Justin gave Clay a quick hug and walked him to the entrance. "Kick his ass."

 

* * *

 

"You do solemnly state that the testimony you may give in the cause now pending before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God."

"I do."

"Please state your full name for the records of the court."

"Clayton Nicholas Jensen."

"Thank you, Mr. Jensen, you may be seated."

Harry Drummond, the young ADA prosecuting Montgomery de la Cruz, got up from his desk and walked over to the witness stand. "Good morning, Clay."

"Good morning."

"The State has called you as a witness this morning in order to testify about a pattern of abusive behavior, both physically and psychologically, that the defendant, Montgomery de la Cruz, exhibited as a student at Liberty High School. So, let's begin. How long have you known the defendant, Mr. de la Cruz?"

"Well...I guess five years. Three years of high school and two years in junior high."

"And how would you describe your relationship with the defendant?"

"Not good."

Justin leaned over to Tony. "That's one way of fucking putting it," he whispered.

"Justin, shush," Alex reprimanded in a whisper of his own.

Drummond continued. "Would you elaborate?"

"I wouldn't say that I had a relationship with Montgomery in that we were friends, or even acquaintances. I don't think he even knew my name correctly until junior year. But, I saw him bully other students, he would start fights."

From his seat at the defense table, wearing prison orange, Monty scowled at Clay.

"Was this at Liberty High?"

"Yes, and in junior high as well."

"All right. And what form did this bullying take?"

"Sometimes it was verbal. Taunting, name calling, things like that. Occasionally, he would do things like mock someone's physical appearance or if they had a disability of some kind. It could also be in regard to their sexuality."

"So, he mocked them for being gay or lesbian?"

"He did. Or, if he _assumed_ someone was gay, he would mock them for that."

"Clay, were you subject to this?"

"I was."

"What happened?"

"In freshman year, a rumor began that I was homosexual. Some students...ran with that and bullied me for it."

"Was one of them the defendant?"

"It was."

Justin squirmed a little in his seat. He had participated in that as well, had even spread some of the jokes and false stories about Clay being gay, and have even helped embellish a few of the more outrageous claims. In the week following Clay's injury, he apologized to his brother, and was embarrassed about what he had done. While Clay accepted the apology and they hadn't talked about it since, he was still remorseful about it and it came up in his head from time to time. Mostly, he wondered what things would have been like, how his life might have been different much sooner, if he had only taken a stand and not done that, had actually tried to get to know Clay instead.

"Did the bullying ever escalate from simple name calling and rumor mongering to physical actions?"

"Not to me, personally, no. Not at the time. But to other students. Yes, it did."

"Such as?"

"Well. He'd push other kids, slam them into lockers. Grab them and make threats."

"And this included Tyler Down?"

"Objection, your honor," William Brady, a balding, portly, middle aged man who had at one time harbored dreams of being the star lawyer in a prestigious firm, and who was the public defender representing Monty, got to his feet. "What is the relevance of this line of questioning?"

"I'm attempting to show that your client has had a history of violent behavior. That's the relevance," Drummond replied, turning to look at the other attorney.

"So being a schoolyard bully is grounds for..."

"Mr. Brady," the judge interrupted. "Objection overruled."

Drummond turned back to Clay as Brady sat back down. "Clay, did you ever witness the defendant threaten or attack Tyler Down?"

"Once or twice, I saw him slamming Tyler into the wall at school, yes."

"Unprovoked?"

"It seemed that way, yes."

"Why do you think he did that?"

Brady got to his feet again. "Objection, speculation."

"Sustained."

"Clay, did you see Tyler do anything at school which might provoke the defendant in any way?"

"No."

"All right. And when did you hear about the defendant sexually assaulting Tyler Down in the bathro-"

"Objection, prejudicial."

"I'll rephrase. When did you hear about the defendant _allegedly_ assaulting Tyler Down in the bathroom of Liberty High?"

Clay took a deep breath before continuing. "It was a Tuesday. I had just come back to school after being out for a week. I'm not sure how it started or who started it, but by lunch it was spreading pretty quickly. We thought it was just a rumor at first, but then someone saw a story breaking on one of the news station's Twitter feeds. Later that day after school, we saw Monty being arrested."

"Prior to the defendant's arrest, did you personally witness any other actions by him which went beyond bullying? Was there anything of a violent nature?"

"Yes."

"Such as?"

"I was on the Liberty High Honor Board, and we adjudicated an incident between Montgomery and another student. They had a fight in the parking lot, he made as if he was going to run down this other student..."

Now it was Alex's turn to shift a little as he watched and listened, and it wasn't because of his bad leg causing him discomfort. In fact, the last few weeks it was steadily growing stronger, and there were now short periods of time where he could walk - albeit slowly - without the aid of his cane. No, he shifted because while Monty had instigated what Clay was now talking about, he had been the one who had shoved first.

".....and we decided on a three day suspension for his actions, owing to a pattern of this kind of behavior."

"Now, earlier this year you testified in another case, _Andrew and Olivia Baker vs The Evergreen County School District_. During that trial, were you intimidated or harassed in any way? Prior to your testimony or after?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"One night I was riding home on my bike. A car came up behind me and ran me off the road."

"Did you see who was driving the car?"

"No, but later I discovered that Montgomery had been driving, and that he was also threatening..."

"Objection, this is hearsay and inadmissible. My client has not been charged with anything in relation to the Baker school trial."

"Your honor," Drummond turned to the bench, "the witness has provided to the State an affidavit which..."

"Which has nothing to do with this case! The defense objects to this line of questioning!"

The judge sighed, and took off his glasses. "Counselors, sidebar."

Drummond and Brady came up to the bench and got into a short discussion with the judge. After a moment, the lawyers returned to their respective positions, almost like boxers going to their corners. "The objection is sustained. Let's move on, Mr. Drummond."

"Clay, you also mentioned you had been out of school for a week. Why was that, why weren't you in class?"

"I...I..." Clay took another breath and swallowed. Looking out on the courtroom, he made eye contact with his parents and friends and could see the looks of encouragement on their faces. "I...had been attacked by Monty."

"What happened?"

"He...came up from behind me and to my left at the end of the day. He said my name and as I turned my head, he swung with his left hand. He had a cast on his arm at the time and it made contact with my head. My head hit...the corner of my locker pretty hard, the door? It was already opened, and then my head sort of...not bounced, but rebounded, I guess? Recoiled. And he punched the side of my head again this time with his right fist, and that drove my head into the locker a second time."

"How badly were you hurt, Clay?"

"I was diagnosed with a grade three concussion, post-concussion syndrome, and later post-traumatic stress disorder."

"Had you done anything to provoke this?"

"No."

The members of the jury looked at one another and there was some murmuring in the courtroom.

"Thank you, Clay. No further questions."

 

* * *

 

Scott Reed was not having a good morning. 

True, it was better than the situation Monty was in, and he certainly did not want to trade places with Clay right now, but still. It was not a good morning.

Once Monty had been arrested, and the details of what Tyler had admitted to his caretakers in the hospital came out in the news, Scott realized, as did a few others, that there were two major problems. One, the evidence was iffy at best, circumstantial at worst. Two, the prosecutors were taking the word of a young man with clear emotional and psychological trauma and disability as the foundation of their case with little else to back it up. This was why people like Clay had been called to testify, they needed to build the case that Monty was always violent and abusive towards others, and it had escalated as time went on. So, the best way to ensure that there would be a conviction, and justice for Tyler, was if there were witnesses to the assault, or others who had participated.

Even though the baseball season had been cancelled and the team officially disbanded for the duration, they mostly remained in contact with one another, with one or two exceptions. Bryce largely kept to himself these days and only associated with one or two of the more unsavory characters, selfish and arrogant just like him. Monty, of course, had pretty much become a pariah. Still, there were rumors that he was not as isolated as everyone believed, and that he still ran with a couple of his now former teammates. So, Scott and Zach reasoned, if they shook the tree enough, as it were, maybe they could find out who, if anyone, was there when Tyler had been attacked.

Easier said than done.

One thing about sports teams, is that they know when to circle the wagons. It was almost as if the old mafia code of _Omertà_ was invoked. Scott saw a lot of this first hand, as did Zach, when word of the clubhouse and the Polaroids slowly started to come out. All of a sudden they weren't baseball players any longer, they were rapists, whether they had actually perpetrated the crime or not. Scott knew about the clubhouse - hell, he took part in bringing Sheri there after all - but a rapist he certainly was not, and it angered him to be labeled such. All he wanted to do was play baseball, and he had had enough of the bullshit that Bryce and the others had pulled. It was time for this to stop, and as a self-appointed honorary member of the Deranged Over-Protective Scooby Gang, he decided it was time to take action.

In the days leading up to the trial and Clay's testimony, he called, texted, or met in person with as many members of the old team as he could, along with Zach, trying to figure out who knew what and when. Names were crossed off the list one by one and narrowed down until only a handful were left, including Rick Wlodimierz, who he met for coffee at Rosie's earlier that morning.

"I still don't know why you want to dig like this," his old coach said, stirring the sugar he had just poured into his mug from a packet. "The Down boy is a wreck, the jury will see that."

"Coach, come on. Yeah, Tyler has a lot of issues, we both know that...but something had to push him over the top to try and shoot up the dance, you know that. Kids just don't wake up one morning and go, 'Hey, I'm bored as fuck, I think I'll go kill some people today.' You've heard the rumors just like I have."

Rick took a drink of coffee. "And? Just rumors."

"Look. Who did Monty hang with, that's all I want to know."

"Well, how about you," Rick smirked.

"I never associated with him when he pulled the crap he pulled, and you know it."

"Scotty, look. We were a team, and we will be again...."

"You sure about that? Has your contract even been renewed?"

"Watch it..."

"Or what? You'll bench me?"

Rick put the mug down on the table and scowled at his former charge sitting across from him. "This team was... _is_...a family. Family protects and looks out for one another, I can't understand why you and Dempsey just don't get that. If Monty did what he's accused of, then he'll face the consequences. But I refuse to believe it, and if your teammate meant anything to you, you should refuse to believe it also. This whole situation is ridiculous, I thought the people who hate us got what they wanted."

Frustrated, Scott pushed his chair back and stood up. "The people who hate us? They hate us for all the right reasons." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a five dollar bill and tossed it on the table. "That should cover the coffee. See you around."

Walking out of the diner and sighing, Scott texted Zach:

 

 **Scott:** _You were right, no fucking help at all._

 **Zach:** _Shit. Okay. You know what this means, right?_ **  
**

**Scott:** _Yeah..._ **  
**

**Zach:** _Just left the courthouse...meet you there?_

 **Scott:** _Yeah. See you in a few._

 

It was a short drive to the large house at the end of the cul-de-sac, and Zach's car was already there.

"I really don't want to do this," Zach said after getting out and greeting his friend. "He's just going to stonewall us."

"Maybe," Scott replied. "Maybe not. Between the two of us, maybe we can wear him down?"

"Yeah. So Coach?"

"Still an arrogant prick. How's Clay?"

"Other than he looked like he was going to puke all over Justin's shoes? I left before the session started, Alex is supposed to update me."

Scott nodded as they walked up to the front door. "Well....let's get this over with." He rang the doorbell and waited. A moment later, the door opened.

"I was wondering when the two of you were going to show up. About fucking time," Bryce Walker said in greeting.

 

* * *

 

Drummond returned to his seat, and as Clay poured a glass of water for himself, Brady came forward to cross examine.

"Mr. Jensen, you've just testified that my client attacked you, and that you did nothing to provoke him."

Clay paused, taking a sip before answering. "Yes."

"But isn't it true, Mr. Jensen, that you have always had an antagonistic relationship with my client? And that you did, in fact, provoke him? Didn't you inflict emotional distress on him?"

"I...I'm not sure what you're..."

"You honor, defense exhibit twelve..." Brady turned back to his table, where a smug looking Monty stared down Clay. "This is a picture of the cast that my client had on his left arm at the time of the event the witness just described. The picture was taken at the time of his arrest. Mr. Jensen, I'd like you to look at this picture, and describe to the court what you see."

"A cast."

Clay's reply caused some laughter in the courtroom, except for Justin, Alex and Tony, who looked at one another and figured out where this was going.

"Yes, Mr. Jensen, but what else do you see."

"A drawing."

"Go on. More detail for the court, please.

"A...drawing of a puppy. Holding a magnifying glass. And wearing a Sherlock Holmes style cap."

"Did you draw this on my client's cast?"

"Objection, relevance."

"Your Honor, the cartoon on the cast is relevant. It shows provocation on the part of the witness."

"Overruled."

"Did you draw this, Mr. Jensen?"

"Y-yes."

"And when you drew it, what did you tell my client that the puppy was doing?"

"It...I said it was looking for Monty's....penis."

"So, would you say that you bullied my client, emotionally, by mocking the size of his genitals?"

"I..."

"in fact, Mr. Jensen, wouldn't you say that you are just as much of a bully as you claim my client is? You're hardly the model of innocence, are you?"

"Objection, this is badgering the witness! Your honor!" Drummond got to his feet. "May I remind the Court that the witness is not on trial here?"

"Mr. Drummond," the judge sighed, "the Court is well aware of that fact. Objection sustained. Keep it moving, Mr. Brady."

"Thank you, your honor. Mr. Jensen, are you a drug user?"

The courtroom gasped and murmuring broke out again. "Objection! What relevance does that have to the state's case against Montgomery de la Cruz?" Drummond was once more on his feet.

"Goes to the character of the witness, your honor."

"Let's keep it down, please. Mr. Drummond, Mr. Brady, will you approach the bench, please?"

As the lawyers came forward, Clay again made eye contact with Justin, who nodded back at him reassuringly. After a another minute, the lawyers returned to their places. "The objection is overruled."

"Thank you, your honor. Mr. Jensen, are you a drug user?"

"No."

"No? Really?"

"Really."

"Defense exhibit thirteen...a transcript of _Andrew and Olivia Baker vs The Evergreen County School District_. Mr. Jensen, you testified at this trial, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And did you not testify, under oath, that you used the drug Ecstasy with other students at a party?"

"Your honor, the state objects again, this line of questioning as no bearing on this case!"

"Noted and overruled, Mr. Drummond. Mr. Brady, the Court would like to know, however, where you're going with this, so if we could get there?"

"Mr. Jensen, if you'd answer my question?"

"I...yes. I did."

"And do  you continue to use illegal drugs?"

Justin leaned forward and made as if he was going to get to his feet, when Tony placed his leg out to stop him. "Going somewhere?" he whispered.

"This is such bullshit!" Justin whispered back, teeth clenched.

"The hell you think you're gonna do? Punch the guy? Take it easy, Jensen."

Justin leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms.

Clay shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Fair enough. Mr. Jensen, did you bully other students at Liberty High, and specifically did you bully Tyler Down?"

Clay swallowed heavily. "I..."

"Did you not circulate a picture of the young man accusing my client of assault, a naked picture, to other students at Liberty High School, in order to humiliate him? What about when you vandalized the car of another student? Aren't you really the monster here, and not my client as you've tried so hard to make him out to be?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained. Watch it, Mr. Brady, or I'll hold you in contempt."

"Mr. Jensen, are you currently in therapy?"

The courtroom broke out in gasps and chatter once more. Justin clenched his fists, and made as if he was going to stand up again. This time, not only did Tony put his leg out to stop him, but from behind, Matt Jensen placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Your honor, objection!"

"It still goes to the character of the witness..."

"All right," the judge, now exasperated, raised his voice so as to be heard over the lawyers. "Objection sustained. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'm going to call our mid-morning recess a little early today, and maybe everyone will cool off some. The witness will remain under oath, and court will reconvene in thirty minutes. We stand in recess."

 

* * *

 

Bryce poured himself a glass of orange juice after doing the same for his guests.

"I started to get texts a couple days ago that the two of you were asking a lot of questions. Honestly, I don't know what you're trying to get out of all of this...."

"Justice," Zach said.

"For who? Hannah Baker? Over and done. Tyler? That fucked up kid who almost shot all of us?"

"Bryce, come on."

"All right, all right. The kid needs help, I get it," Bryce sat down across from Zach and Scott in the den. "Like, a whole team of help, psychiatrists or whatever. Fine. So the two of you are playing detective because...what? You think someone else was there with Monty?"

"So you believe Monty did this?" Scott asked.

"Part of me does. I wouldn't put it past him, let's put it that way."

"Look, you knew who Monty ran with. If there really was a couple other of the guys in there with them, if they'd testify, then Monty goes to prison for sure. We did some fucked up shit, I know that. But this? What Monty did? That's way over the line...you know that, and so do we," Zach said.

"And no matter what Tyler has going on, he didn't deserve that," Scott added.

Zach nodded in agreement. "What if Monty gets off, is found not guilty?"

"Then he's found not guilty, so what?" Bryce answered, taking a drink.

"Don't you think he'll want to get revenge on everyone? Including you?"

"Me?"

"Didn't you cut him off? Yeah, you put a scare into Clay when he came back to school after he got his head knocked around...but you're not close to Monty anymore. Are you?"

Bryce was about to bring his glass back up to his mouth when he pondered Zach's question. "Well....no...."

"What makes you think he wouldn't come after you? You just said you wouldn't put it past him that he _did_ do this to Tyler. So let's say he gets out of this, lack of evidence or whatever. He's already several tacos shy of a value meal as it is...what if he starts coming after everyone. Clay, Justin, us....you," Scott explained.

Bryce thought about this for a moment. It was true, Monty was aggressive and had a violent streak, and did things on impulse. Blackmailing and threatening the witnesses in Hannah's trial to try and "save" Bryce nearly backfired, and it certainly wasn't at his urging. In fact, that was the very reason why he had washed his hands of Monty to begin with. What Zach and Scott just theorized was indeed a possibility. What if Monty did make it through this? There was no guarantee that he wouldn't come after Jensen's little group.

Or him.

Sighing, Bryce took another drink and put the glass down in front of him. "You know who I haven't seen in a long time?"

Scott and Zach looked at each other and then back at their host. Scott shrugged. "Who?"

"Keith Cyzen and Bryan Hagan."

Zach's eyes widened as he realized where Bryce was going with this.

"Now, those two were some crazy guys, you know? Man...they could get into some shit, that's for sure. And the girls they fucked! Hell, they even made me jealous! Anyway, I haven't seen them in forever, you know? Like right after the spring dance, they really kept a low profile, skipped school a lot, all that."

"Bryce...." Scott started.

"Thanks for coming by, but I promised my mother I'd meet her at the country club for a round of golf this morning, and I really need to get ready," Bryce stood and walked back to the front hall. "If you see Keith and Bryan....they would go to the batting cages pretty much every day and practice for some reason. Not that two bench warmers would ever be a starter."

"Should we tell them you said hi?" Zach asked.

Bryce spun around and stared down his former friend and teammate. "What the fuck do you think? How about you keep my name out of this and the minute you walk out that door you forget anything I told you. Are we clear?"

"Like crystal."

"Good. And unless you intend to apologize to me and get Foley...or Jensen, whatever the fuck...to do the same, don't ever fucking come back here again. Consider today a favor in honor of what we used to be."

"Gee, that's mighty white of you, Walker," Scott said.

Bryce opened the door and indicated that the two should leave. As they walked through, the door slammed shut behind them and they heard the lock click.

"How did we not think about those two?" Zach asked as they jogged to their cars.

"Like Walker said, bench warmers and general misfits. I know I didn't associate with them."

"Me neither." As they were about to get into their cars, Zach's phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket. "I never thought Bryce would actually help. Okay, Clay just testified and Monty's lawyer is up." He said, looking down and reading the text from Alex.

"Let's move it before they drag him through the mud."

 

* * *

 

During the recess, Matt and Lainie spoke with Justin, Clay and their friends in the hall.

"We knew this would be a possibility. It's up to the ADA now to try and knock down as much as possible," Lainie explained.

"This is such crap! Clay didn't do anything wrong!" Justin exclaimed.

"Justin, we know that. But he's going to bring up as much as possible to try and discredit your brother," Matt said in reply. "It's really the only thing he can do."

"Well, it's still crap! I don't get it, Monty is the one on trial! So what if Clay drew a stupid cartoon on his cast, what does that have to do with Tyler!"

Alex leaned in some. "Look, your dad just said it....they're going to do whatever they can to make Clay look bad, like he helped make Montgomery who he is or whatever. We all know it's not true, but the jury doesn't know that."

While this discussion went on, Clay turned and walked away, over to a bench underneath a window. Tony noticed this and followed him, sitting down next to his friend. "How're you holding up?"

"I wish they wouldn't talk about me like I wasn't there."

"Well....they don't mean to. Your brother is upset, and honestly I don't blame him. You need anything? Water? Coffee? Snack?"

"No, I'm good. Tony...can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Clay turned to look at his best friend. "Am I just as bad as Monty is? Like...I did some stupid shit, too. Is the lawyer right with where he's going with all this?"

"No, Clay. You're nothing like Monty. Now, did you do some crazy shit? I mean, yeah...but consider what was happening at the time. Let me ask you this...have you done anything like that since?"

"Well...no."

"Okay, then. Monty is a product of his environment and his upbringing, just like you and me. That's why he does what he does. You did what you felt you had to do to get justice for Hannah, and sometimes you let your emotions run away in the moment. But you've always tried to be kind to people, treat them with the same respect you'd want. So, don't ever compare yourself to him ever again. Okay?"

"Okay. God....this fucking sucks. What do you think he'll ask about next?"

Before Tony could answer, he noticed Drummond had come out into the hall and had pulled Lainie aside. They spoke for a few minutes, and then she waved the boys to come back over.

"Something's up," Tony said as he got up. Once they rejoined the group, Lainie explained what she had just been told.

"There's new evidence. Two witnesses are at the Sheriff's office, and they're ready to cut a deal. Apparently Zach and Scott are down there with them."

 

* * *

 

 

The recess went longer than the judge had originally called for, owing to the new developments, and both attorneys met with him in chambers for nearly an hour. Finally, the bailiffs announced that court would be reconvened. Clay was about to go back to the stand, when a bailiff told him to wait, so he turned back to join his parents and friends.

"Any idea of what's going to happen? They don't want me back up there?" he asked his mother.

"I don't know...maybe they did reach a deal..."

The judge returned to the bench, lawyers took position, and while the Gang could not see the look on Monty's face as he was brought back in, they did see his shoulders slumped and head down as he was brought back in.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I understand that the defendant would like to change his plea and that a deal has been reached with the State. Mr. Brady?"

Brady rose to his feet slowly. "Yes, Your Honor. My client would like to enter an plea of  _nolo contendere_ in arrangement with the State, based on new evidence that we understand the State is about to introduce."

"Mr. Drummond?"

"The State accepts the plea, Your Honor."

"Very well. Mr. de la Cruz, you are now changing your plea from 'not guilty' to one of no contest to these charges. Do you understand?"

Monty got to his feet, slowly, and nodded his head. "Yes."

"The Court accepts the change in plea, and having done so, Montgomery de la Cruz, this Court finds you guilty on all counts as charged. You will be held over until sentencing. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the Court thanks you for your time, and dismisses you from service in this case. Court is adjourned."

The Jensens walked outside and down the steps of the courthouse, Tony helping Alex as they brought up the rear. "I don't get it," Justin asked, "what just happened?"

"He was found guilty and there's been some justice served. Finally," Matt answered.

"For Tyler, for Clay, and for who knows how many other people we don't even know about," Lainie added. "Montgomery is going to be incarcerated for a long time, based on what he was charged with."

Clay noticed Zach and Scott waiting for them at the bottom of the steps and met them before anyone else. "Holy shit...what did you guys...how did you....you really found them! How did you convince them to...?"

"Easy," Scott shrugged. "We just told them that if Monty was found not guilty, he'd probably make sure that whomever else might have been on it would probably be threatened for the rest of their lives so they'd keep quiet."

Zach nodded in agreement. "That, and we may have gotten a little creative."

Justin had now joined, along with Alex and Tony, while Matt and Lainie looked on. "Creative?" Clay asked.

"I may or may not have mentioned the existence of more pictures. Polaroids."

Clay's eyes widened. "You....there aren't. Are there?"

"Who knows?" Zach answered. "But the minute I mentioned it, they admitted to everything and agreed to come in."

"This sounds too good to be true..."

"Clay, it's a win. Let's take it and be done with it, and move on from all of this. This is the last we'll probably ever see of Montgomery," Alex said. "I don't know about you guys, and not to sound like Clay, but, a) I've had enough of Montgomery de la Cruz, and, b) I'm hungry."

"Yeah, for real," Justin agreed. "Let's grab lunch. Bro, you did great in there. He probably would have been found guilty anyway."

"I hope he would have."

Clay stood and watched as his friends walked over to his parents to discuss lunch plans.

"I hope he would have," he said again to himself before joining them.

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, Mazers!
> 
> At long last, Monty has gotten what he had coming. Truth be told, I could have drawn this out more, but it was a part of the story that needed to be told - and, if you've read the New Years story then you'll recall a blink and you'll miss it line about Monty being in jail - and this wraps some loose ends up in the Mazeverse. 
> 
> Knowing how Monty is portrayed in the show, and his devotion to Bryce, I also felt that it made some sense to include Bryce in this chapter and in the way I did it. There's no guarantee that he would be safe under these kinds of circumstances, not really. It helped tie it all together for this one to progress and come to a conclusion. Plus, and let's face it, Bryce Walker would throw his own mother under a bus if he absolutely had to.
> 
> I realize I may have...well, stretched some things lol...when it came to the case and the plea agreement. But again, short of bringing in some kind of expert, or watching a whole lot of legal dramas, I think this worked out pretty well. What say you?
> 
> Anywho, Maze Two continues, and there's a lot more to come! I look forward to reading what you thought of this chapter in the feedback below, which I always appreciate! In the meantime, stay tuned, because Clay and Justin will return very soon!
> 
> Take care!


	3. The Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Gang gets underway for their trip to Disneyland...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want a soundtrack to this chapter, you say? Sure! Get the "Lilo and Stitch" songs queued up! 
> 
> Um. And "Rubberband Man."
> 
> You'll see.

 

_I found out long ago_  
_It's a long way down the holiday road_

\- from "Holiday Road," by Lindsey Buckingham (and featured as the theme to "National Lampoon's Vacation")

 

 

The anticipation, the excitement, had been building for some time. As each day was metaphorically scratched off of the calendar, there was a palpable buzz in Justin Foley-Jensen, who always seemed to have a big smile on his face and was in a good mood. Even if his shift at Walplex was rough, he still came home happy and bouncy. He did little things around the house without being asked, hummed to himself a lot, and at times it was if he might bust out laughing.

Justin was going to Disneyland.

Well, the whole Gang was going to Disneyland, actually, and at his suggestion no less. Back on Prom night, prompted by an off the cuff remark made by Cyrus regarding the decorations, he brought up the idea of a road trip, and specifically to Anaheim to visit the happiest place on earth. Multiple conversations with various parents, money carefully stashed away, and even a little help from a grandparent or two here or there, and it was on. Four weeks earlier, the Gang had met at Monet's to plan the excursion.

"Okay," Clay said as he typed away at his laptop, an open "Birnbaum's Guide to Disneyland" next to it, "so, staying at an official hotel is pretty much out of the question, unless we want to rob a bank or suddenly win the lottery. But, there's some reasonably priced ones that are close by if not right next to the park. Here's a Howard Johnson's that doesn't look bad at all....hmmm, it's even a water park, so that could be fun."

Zach nodded. "That sounds good. How much?"

"$161 a night."

"Damn, that's not bad at all. Right in the budget."

"Exactly what I was thinking. We can pool the room portion together and that covers it with plenty to spare."

"How do we handle the roommate situation?" Tony asked. "Caleb won't be able to go because of work that weekend, so I suppose that means you and me, Dempsey?"

"That's what I figured, we'd bunk with Alex and Cy."

"Just don't get all sexy time on me when I'm trying to sleep," Tony leaned over and looked over at the boyfriends and warned.

Cyrus grinned back at him. "We'll be sure to put out the 'Do Not Disturb' sign as a warning, Tone." Alex turned a little red quickly, but grinned also.

"I'm seriously going to regret this, aren't I?"

"Yeah, probably," Alex laughed.

"And Justin and I will room with the girls...we just, like, keep that to ourselves or whatever, let the parents think the guys are all staying together. Okay. Cool. So, I'll get our Mom to book this one, if we're all in agreement?"

Clay looked up and got head nods back.

"Great! So, two nights then, Friday and Saturday."

"Actually," Justin spoke up, scratching his chin. "It should be three nights."

"Three?"

"Well, yeah. If we go on Friday, that really only gives us one full day to try and hit everything we want to do. Right? So, if we leave on Thursday, like even late in the day if any of us have to work, that gives us all day Friday and Saturday. Then, we can check out Sunday morning and maybe do one or two last things before driving back. Bang, we have more time. And you said yourself we have spare money in the hotel budget, right? So, I think we should add a third night."

Clay sat back in his seat, thought for a moment, and then his eyes widened as he slowly turned to Sheri on his left. "I'm scared."

Sheri tilted her head in reply. "Why?"

"Because....Justin had a good idea and I agree with it!"

"Hey!"

"Oh my God...you're right, now I'm scared, too!" she teased.

"Hey!!"

Alex and Cyrus looked at each other. "Is...is this one of the signs of the end of the world?" Cyrus asked his boyfriend.

"You guys!"

Alex shook his head. "I-I don't know, isn't there supposed to be an angel with a trumpet or whatever, first?"

Zach and Jess leaned forward to look out the front window of the coffee shop. "I don't see anything...do you?" he asked her.

"Nope. Can't hear anything either, no trumpet," she replied solemnly.

"All right, seriously?"

"Not gonna lie...Justin Jensen having a good idea has got to be a first and I'm a little worried..."

"Tony! Guys, c'mon...."

"JJ, chill...it's a great idea. Three nights it is!"

 

* * *

 

 

Reservations made, Clay stuck to his guidebook in the days leading up to the trip, carefully plotting out the best times to go on different rides and see the various attractions, and how they would be able to squeeze in as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. He got some gentle teasing from his parents and brother for doing so, but he was determined to create and stick to an itinerary, as uptight as it might seem. "Look, this way we maximize our time there, and we see everything we want to see," he explained one morning at the table.

"Honey...maybe you should just go with the flow," Lainie suggested. "Let everyone sort of pick and choose and..."

Clay looked up at her from the book with narrowed eyes.

"...or, not. Schedules are good."

But, back to Justin's excitement. As the day drew closer he was a bundle of nervous energy that runs with Clay or workouts in the gym could not get rid of. This was going to be a series of firsts: first trip out of town with Clay, first one with friends, first with Jess...hell, his first real vacation, period. He might as well be seven years old and not seventeen, and he had practically been bouncing off of the walls. He had also been doing something else - listening to a lot of Disney music, and from one movie in particular, over and over. There was one morning, for instance, when Clay was making his way down the hall to take a shower and heard "He Mele No Lilo" coming from his brother's room, which caused him to stop for a second and listen, then shake his head with a little laugh before continuing on.

On another night, it was "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride," on repeat, as Clay watched from the doorway while Justin sang along, not knowing he was being watched, as he sat at his desk and was surfing the internet on his laptop.

Finally, two evenings prior to their trip, Clay once more found himself at Justin's doorway as his brother watched what, clearly, was his favorite Disney movie on Netflix while sunk in his comfy dark red beanbag chair, and heard him recite some lines in a shaky voice along with the scene: "This is my family. I found it all on my own. It's little, and broken. But still good. Yeah. Still good."

Unlike his brother, who seemed to get emotional at the drop of a hat (the minute any kind of ASPCA ad came on television, for instance, Justin typically jumped off of the couch and ran out of the room) Clay tended to be a little more reserved. He was getting better, true, and therapy was teaching him that he shouldn't hold in everything all of the time, but he just didn't get all choked up that easily. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare exceptions, and as he turned back to go to his own room, he caught his breath a little and blinked quickly as he started to tear up. He also arrived at a couple of conclusions with a smile: a) it was now painfully obvious _why_ "Lilo and Stitch" was Justin's favorite, and, b) his brother  _was_ Stitch.

And this gave him an idea.

Because, in truth, he was just as excited to go on this trip even if he didn't show it in the same way, and he wanted to plan one or two special things to do with and for Justin, even if it was going to cost some extra money here or there.

"Do you want to do a character breakfast?" he asked the night before they left from his position sunk into the beanbag chair while flipping through the pages of his guidebook to the one he had marked.

"A what now?"

"You have breakfast with, like, Mickey and Minnie. They walk around and you can take pictures with them and get autographs."

"You can....can we do that? Like, for real?"

"Sure, why not. There's one called Donald Duck's Seaside Breakfast. As long as we have a park ticket it's all good."

"Then, yeah!"

"Okay. Hmm. It says here that one of the characters pretty much guaranteed to appear every time at this one is Stitch."

Justin sat up straight from his position on the bed. "Really?"

"Uh huh."

"Like...for real, really?" Justin's eyes lit up.

"Yup."

"And we can really go to this one...that place, Donald's whatever?"

"Well, there's a couple other places to choose from...."

"NO! Um...I mean...this one sounds like it would be fun to do and I think we should go there. Like...the girls. I bet the girls would love it."

"Yeah, okay. They probably would," Clay smiled to himself from behind his book and turned a page, satisfied that he had guessed correctly about that favorite movie and at how excited Justin had become. "I'll make reservations before I crash out tonight."

"Okay! I can't believe we're going to fucking Disneyland! _I'm_ going to fucking Disneyland!"

Clay closed the book and put it on the floor next to him. "Yeah, this is going to be really cool. We went when I was eleven, it's one of my favorite memories, actually. It was right before Mom and Dad got super busy with work....Dad was up for tenure, Mom just started at her old firm...we had a lot of fun."

"I wish I had memories like that." The smile faded from Justin's face some as he sighed and leaned back on the bed. "We never...mom, Amber, she tried a couple times to save up so we could go somewhere but it never worked out, she...the money would be spent on shit like....well, anyway. I remember us going to the beach once or twice, but that was about it."

Hearing this, Clay got to his feet and walked over, joining his brother on the bed and putting an arm around him. "Hey. So what if you didn't get to do this before, you're going to now and that's what counts. I'm glad we get to do stuff like this while we can, you know? Next summer is probably going to be all sorts of crazy getting ready for college. Maybe next year just you and me can go somewhere, or even over spring break or whatever. I'd like to do that with you."

"Yeah?" Justin's smile returned.

"Mhmm. So, you get to make some _great_ memories from now on."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

 

* * *

 

Zach hugged his younger sister tight and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "I'll send you all kinds of pictures, and you send me ones from camp, okay? I'm going to bring you back some neat things, too."

"Zach," May groaned playfully, "I'm too old for toys and stuff. But...I wouldn't be opposed to a stuffed Minnie. And a pair of Mickey ears. Maybe a princess locket?"

"Careful, Dempsey, she's going to break the bank," Tony grinned at the siblings from the doorway. "Don't worry, little lady, I'll make sure he buys you something really special."

"Make sure Alex is okay and has fun. And don't be mean to him!" May kissed her brother's cheek in return.

"Hey now, I'm never mean to Alex!"

"Uh huh," she teased.

Karen Dempsey came up and hugged her son. "You be very careful on the road, and have a good time. Antonio, I presume you're in charge?"

"I would be indeed, ma'am."

"Good."

Waving bye as they walked to the Mustang, Zach watched as his friend unlocked and opened the trunk. "You're....not really in charge. Right? Like, I thought either Clay was or we all just kind of do our own thing or whatever."

"Oh, I'm in charge. I feel like if I'm not, total chaos is going to reign with this little group of ours. My job is to make sure you people don't get arrested or anything."

Zach put his duffel bag in the trunk. "You're making it sound like we're the mafia or something."

"Just call me the consigliere. Text the lovebirds and tell them we're on our way."

 

* * *

 

"Did you pack your medications?"

"Yes, Mom...you asked that already. Twice."

"All right, I just want to be sure. Now, how about a sweater. You know you get chilly easily."

"Packed two of them."

"Good. What if you took a third one, just in case?"

"Mom," Alex rolled his eyes and looked to his father for help. He and his parents, along with Cyrus, were waiting in the Standall's living room.

"Carolyn, the boy doesn't need three sweaters...two is plenty," Bill Standall said shrugging sympathetically at his son.

"Well....all right. Now, I want you to promise me that you'll eat _something_ healthy at least once a day."

"No worries, Mrs. S," Cyrus looked up from his phone and grinned. "I'll make sure he gets some salad in him at some point. Tony just picked up Zach and they're on their way."

"Okay, cool. And yes, Mom. A salad. Like, I'll eat a side salad or something."

Before his wife could respond, Bill jumped in. "Now, you take it easy going through the park," he instructed as he got up from the couch. "They'll let you have your cane in the park, but if you don't want to take it in..."

"Maybe he should anyway," Carolyn interrupted.

"...if you don't want to take it in, that's fine. Just sit down every so often and rest. Don't push yourself too hard. All right?"

"Yes, sir," Alex nodded.

"And the most important thing," Bill reached into his front pants pocket and hid what he pulled out in his palm. "is to make sure to have fun and enjoy yourself. Both of you." As he stepped up and kissed his son's forehead, he slipped a hundred dollar bill into his hand. Winking at him, he turned and shook the hand of Cyrus, palming a second hundred dollar bill to him. "Salad. Once a day. A big one."

"You got it Mr. S."

"Dad..." Alex started to say, stunned at what he had been discretely given.

"Take lots of pictures for me and your Mom. And be careful on the drive, let us know when you get there."

"We...we will. And....thank you."

"Are you sure you shouldn't pack one more sweater...?"

"Oh my God, Mother....while I love you dearly and with all of my heart, I swear to God..."

 

* * *

 

Clay sighed and looked at his watch. "Justin."

"I know!"

Shifting a little against the wall, he watched as Justin ran out of his bedroom and into the bathroom.

"Justin, come on..."

"I know, I know! I'm going as fast as I can!"

"Why didn't you pack last night like I told you? I even texted you a checklist!"

Justin ran back, toothbrush and deodorant in hand. "Did you honestly think I was going to read that?"

"Yes?"

"I'm almost ready!"

"JJ...we've got to get the girls..."

"I know!"

"...stop and get snacks..."

"I know!"

"...and we've got a long drive ahead of..."

"I! KNOW! I said I'm almost ready!"

"Don't forget to pack..."

"Condoms! Got 'em!"

Clay's eyes opened wide. "Well....I was going to say swim trunks, but okay. Those, too, I guess."

"Did you pack yours?"

"Swim trunks? Yeah, of course."

"No, dumbass! Condoms."

"Shithead, will you hurry up and..."

Justin came out into the hall with his bag and smiled at his brother. "All set!"

"Yes. Finally. Thank you."

The brothers trotted downstairs to a waiting Matt and Lainie. "Promise you'll be careful. Don't forget to take your medicine. Most of all, have a good time," Lainie instructed her oldest son, hugging him as she did so.

"I will, I won't, and I plan on it."

"Call us or text us when you get there and let us know if you need anything," Matt was hugging Justin.

"Will do, Dad. I'll bring you back something."

"You don't have to do that, son."

Justin pulled out of the hug. "Are you kidding? Like...I actually get to buy and bring home souvenirs, gifts, for my Mom and Dad. You'd better believe I'm going to bring you stuff!"

Now it was Lainie's turn to tear up a little and hug her adopted youngest. "You are just the sweetest young man, you know that? Take care of your brother and yourself. We'll see you Sunday."

Bags slung over shoulders, they walked down the sidewalk to the Prius. "You did pack condoms, though, right?" Justin asked.

"Oh my God...JJ...."

"Hey, you never know! If you want the room one afternoon or something, just say the word. Jess and I can go find something to do. So, did you?"

Clay opened the trunk. "Yeah, I did."

"Atta boy!"

"Speaking of the room. Try not to be too gross."

"Hey! When am I ever gross?" Justin put his bag inside.

"I shared a room with you for a few months, remember?" Clay placed his own next to his brothers.

"And?"

Clay closed the trunk. "Make sure to put dirty clothes in your bag, don't leave them out. Lift and close the toilet seat. And...you...sometimes you...fart. In your sleep."

"I do not! Do I....?"

"Kinda," Clay shrugged.

"Huh. Well...just, like, don't let me eat anything super late at night or whatever. It'll be fine."

"Noted."

They got in the car and started the drive over to pick up Jess and then Sheri.

"We're going to fucking Disneyland!!"

 

* * *

 

"Does anyone need to use  _el baño_?" Tony asked as he followed Clay in the Mustang.

"Nope."

"Nah."

Cyrus took a slurp from his extra large drink obtained at the convenience store. "All good," he replied after swallowing.

"All right, gentlemen. Settle in. I-5, my old friend, here we go...."

_Thirty minutes later...._

"Uh. Tone?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to piss."

"I knew it! I just knew this would happen...you just had to go ahead and get the Mister Thirsty size. Dempsey, call ahead to Justin, tell them we're getting off at the next exit."

 

* * *

 

"They're stopping already?"

"Yeah, Cyrus had to use the bathroom."

Sheri laughed from the back seat. "Did you see the size of the drink he got? I'm not surprised.

"Well," Clay looked over his shoulder as he changed lanes, "they'll catch up, traffic isn't getting too heavy yet."

"So, what should we do for fun? Play a car game?" Jess asked.

"We could do some kind of trivia?" Clay suggested, which was met by a chorus of "No!" in return.

"Aw, why not?"

"Because you always win, that's why." Justin turned his head to look at the ladies in the back seat. "You should see him at Scrabble, it's just as bad if not worse."

"Just because I knew the word 'gherkins' and you didn't is no reason to get all salty."

"Twenty-one questions then?" Sheri offered.

 

* * *

 

"What do you think is wrong with it?"

Justin and Clay looked under the hood. The 'check engine' light had come on, and although a stop wasn't scheduled yet, they were nearly three hours in and making good time. So, pulling off at an exit and into a restaurant parking lot, the brothers got out to see what was going on.

"I've no idea."

Clay straightened up and looked at Justin. "Wait. I thought you said you knew about cars and stuff."

"No, I said I knew about _some_ things with cars. Like...how to check the oil, put air in the tires. Pump gas."

"So...you seriously don't know what's going on."

"Not a clue."

Sighing, Clay looked around. "Great. Well. There is a gas station over there but there isn't a garage attached to it." Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he brought it up and swiped, bringing up a contact.

"Who are you calling?"

"Who do you think..?"

 

* * *

 

 

**T H E  I N T E R S T A T E**

**(twenty miles behind Clay)**

 

 

Whether it was because Clay had made the Gang see "Avengers: Infinity War" three times that spring or that it was just a great underrated song to begin with they weren't really sure, but the Mustang was jamming out to "Rubberband Man" by The Spinners. Tony tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and nodded his head, while Alex and Cyrus mimed the song from the back seat. Zach, in a very Drax like way, had his head tilted back and was sleeping.

"You know, Standall," Tony said after he turned down the volume a little, looking at Alex in the rear view mirror, "if there's ever a talent show or something you could be the lead on this one. You've got the cane and all."

"Only if I get to bedazzle it for real this time."

"Sure. Hey, you gonna be okay to go on rides and all? I don't want you left out or anything."

Alex smiled up at his friend. "I should be fine. Thanks, Tony."

"I can piggyback him around the park if need be," Cyrus added.

"I'd pay real money to see that....hang on, that's the phone. Dempsey. Dempsey! Yo, Zachary!" Tony reached over and nudged his sleeping friend.

"Hmm? Oh, right. Hello? Uh...no idea, I was asleep, why? What? Everyone okay? Okay, good...what exit? Right, we'll be right there."

"What's up?"

"Clay has car trouble, they're off of exit 368."

"Of course they do. Okay, that should be...about sixteen miles away. All right, gentlemen....hang on."

Tony shifted gears and changed lanes.

 

* * *

 

"That's it?"

"That's it." Tony closed the hood of the Prius.

"It was just a loose wire."

"Just a loose wire."

"Like...you're sure."

"Clay. Get in the car and start it. Tell me if the check engine comes back on."

Complying with Tony's request, Clay got in the driver's seat and turned the car on. Sure enough, no warning light came back on. "You were right!"

"I know."

Meanwhile, the others were off to the side, except for Justin and Cyrus who had gone into the gas station to buy more snacks and drinks.

"You all got Clay's text this morning?" Zach asked.

Jess smiled. "About going in together on that for Justin, the breakfast? I think that's a sweet idea, he'll love it!"

"I say we get as many pictures of him with Stitch as possible, pick out the best one, and then later get it framed for his room," Alex suggested.

"Clay told me he's going to get him a stuffed one, too," Sheri added. "Shhh, here they come."

Tony wiped his hands on a towel from his trunk and looked at Cyrus, who was taking a drink from another oversized cup. "Again? Seriously?"

"What?"

"This time if you have to go, I'm pulling over and you're using the side of the road."

Justin was about to take a drink himself when he heard this and stopped. "I...you can't do that. Can you?"

"Let's go, Scoobies! We're wasting daylight!" Clay called from the car.

The others looked in his direction upon hearing this. "Wasting daylight? Who talks like that?" Justin stopped again from taking a drink.

"He's your brother. But, he's right, let's get back to it, people."

 

* * *

 

 

Finally, they had arrived.

After checking into the hotel and making their way to their floor and rooms, it was time to freshen up a little and relax for a few minutes before venturing out and getting their excursions underway.

"Downtown Disney tonight? We can grab dinner and browse the shops. They have a Lego store I kinda want to go into."

Justin grinned at his brother. "Dude, really? I used to love playing with Legos!"

"Me too," Clay smiled back. "I've been so tempted to get something after seeing Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon in 'Spider Man' last year build that Death Star."

"Well, you boys can look at the Legos, we'll find another one to go into," Sheri said. "Let's see if the guys are ready and get going."

Clay got up from the bed. "Yep! It should be about a twenty minute walk, maybe a little longer for Alex. But...we're here, we have plenty of time."

"Bro! We're at fucking Disneyland!!"

"Yes, Justin," Clay laughed. "We're at fucking Disneyland!"

Justin came over and gave his brother a big hug, lifting him up some and bouncing up and down. "This is going to be so much fun!"

"Yeah it is...and you can put me down now!"

The four walked out of their room and down the hall to get their friends and begin their adventure together.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Mazers! 
> 
> At long last, our Gang is on their road trip to Disneyland, as originally promised and written about last year back in Maze Book One! I toyed with the idea of making this a one-shot back then, but decided instead to wait until now, knowing that Maze Two was going to cover the summer months. The next chapter will cover their time at the park and should be chock full of sweetness and happy, with some snugglebunnies thrown in for good measure.
> 
> Hey, it can't be all angst all the time y'know!
> 
> Yes, I know. Ye Writer modeled a part of this chapter after the scene in "Infinity War" when the Guardians arrive lol. Well, those four kind of are like them in this context, no? Plus I thought it was a fun little thing to add, so why not. Actually, as I was plotting out this chapter, that particular "scene" was the first one I came up with, believe it or no. 
> 
> Justin is Stitch. Yes. There. I said it. And we'll see more about that in our next chapter also!
> 
> SEASON THREE IS ALMOST HERE OMG AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
> 
> Ahem. I'm better now. But, yes! Season Three is just about here and holy moley is it going to be a BIG one! Needless to say, I'll be incorporating it into this story, and the rest of the Mazeverse, as I can, and I'll address that a little once I binge my way through the episodes. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always I look forward to your comments and feedback, and appreciate your kudos! Don't forget I'm over at Tumblr as well, where I've been doing a behind the scenes/director's commentary on some of my stories! Head on over and let me know what you think about those. 
> 
> Stay tuned, because, as Justin said....we're going to fucking Disneyland in our next chapter, coming very soon! Take care!
> 
> (OMG SEASON THREE AHHHHHH!!!!!)


	4. Ohana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Gang is at Disneyland!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little teensy-tiny warning for some implied sexual activity and talk between two of the characters. And see if you can find all the Easter eggs and clues!

 

 

 

 

 

_"ʻOhana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind—or forgotten."_

\- from "Lilo and Stitch"

 

 

 

"Stand right here."

"Why?"

Justin had walked Clay over to a spot underneath a large, free standing object in the pool area and water playground, named Castaway Cove, attached to the Howard Johnson's. Appropriately enough, the inverted top of it was the color orange, matching the traditional HoJo's color.

"Don't worry about it, just stand there. Yeah, perfect." Justin was now backing away and trying very hard not to grin.

"Why do you want me to stand over here with all of these kids? Are you going to take my picture or something?" Clay asked warily as he started to walk back towards his brother.

"Clay...no, bro, just stand there!" Justin stopped him and raised his eyes towards the top of the structure.

Waiting...

"I don't get it, what's so impor-...."

The rest of Clay's question was cut off as a couple hundred gallons of water - cold water, mind you - erupted from this drench bucket, soaking Clay and the several children around him who squealed in delight. Clay yelped in surprise and hunched over a little, crossing his arms and bringing them close to his body as the cascade imitated being underneath a waterfall. Once the burst had subsided and the kids ran off to play, he opened his eyes back up and scowled at his brother.

"That cool you off some?" Justin laughed.

"Uh huh." Clay was now slowly walking towards Justin, who laughed again and took a step backwards.

"What? Hey, after a long drive, walking around the shops...and I mean, it's been a hot day and all, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. Hot. Very hot," Clay was now smirking as he continued walking.

"Think of it this way, at least you don't have a shirt onnnnnWHOA!!!" Now, had Justin been paying closer attention to exactly where he was in relation to everything else around him and what he was doing, he might have noticed that Clay was deliberately walking him backwards towards the edge of the swimming pool. So, as he lost his balance and his arms flailed about like a windmill, he fell in, much to the amusement of some of the kids in the water around him. After coming back up to the surface and shaking his head, sputtering a little, he looked up and saw that Clay was no longer at the edge of the pool, and scanning the area in his immediate line of sight, saw no trace of him at all.

Then he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Turning around, there was Clay - who had dove into the pool quickly in the short amount of time that Justin was under.

"Hi," he grinned before dunking Justin's head back down, and an impromptu, playful, wrestling match broke out between the two of them. What would have seemed outside the realm of possibility only a year before, let alone a few months ago, was taking place in a large swimming pool full of adults and children, as the brothers laughed and enjoyed themselves after a long day.

From their position in a nearby whirlpool, Sheri and Jess watched all of this unfold and laughed right along.

"You realize we're dating two twelve year olds, right?" Jess asked her friend.

Sheri nodded in agreement. "Pretty much. You ever get the feeling when you watch them that because they grew up as only children that they're, like, making up for lost time or whatever?"

"Oh, absolutely. It's like being back in middle school again. Still. It is sort of cute."

"Very. Speaking of dating...how are you and Justin getting on with that? Clay mentioned that you all are going to take it slower this time?"

Jess nodded in agreement. "We are. We've had a lot of long talks about everything that happened last year and the way we sort of stumbled into being boyfriend and girlfriend. I think us pumping the brakes a little is a smart way to do it this time around. I mean...don't you think? I want us to really get to know one another better, and we both have a lot of healing to do, too. Did I tell you he's thinking about coming to a counseling session?"

"No, you didn't...that's...really good. But, what if he sees me there, and..."

"We'll handle that when it comes up. But at least Clay knows, so the three of us can sit him down and explain everything. Right?"

Sheri turned her head and looked away, towards some children splashing in a smaller pool. She hadn't told Clay, because to do so, revealing what had happened to her during her own stay in juvenile detention, would destroy him. Not that he would blame her for it, not at all. But somehow, someway, he would find a way to blame _himself_ because that's who Clay Jensen was. There was only a small number of people who knew at all, and Jessica was one of them.

"Sheri?"

"No. We...I haven't told him," she said quietly and sadly. "I want to, I really do! He should know. But...he went through so much last year, that I feel like if I add this on top of it, I'll just make it worse and set him back or whatever. And he's doing so well in therapy! I just don't want to see him hurt or see him start going backwards...."

"Sheri..."

"I know, I know. It's not fair to him..."

Jess shook her head. "No, but it's not fair to you, either, let alone your relationship."

Now Sheri shook her head negatively. "I know. I just...not yet."

"Girl."

"Jess," Sheri sighed, "look...let's talk about this more when we get back to Crestmont. Yeah? We're here to relax and have fun."

Jess reluctantly agreed as Tony and Zach came over, drinks in hand for all, which put an end to the discussion. 

"Not going in the pool?" Jess asked.

"With those two? They'd just team up on me," Tony replied as he handed over a Coke to her and stepped in to the hot, bubbling waters.

Zach gave Sheri her drink and joined his friends. "Oohhh...this feels amazing. My knee is going to thank me. Yeah, I'm with Tony. Then again, we could probably take them if we worked together."

"Probably. And if we had the lovebirds on our team."

Jess took a sip of her soda and turned to put the can on the edge. "Where are Alex and Cyrus anyway?"

Tony and Zach looked at one another....

 

* * *

 

Moaning loudly, Cyrus orgasmed and laid down gently on top of Alex, their heat and sweat intermingling. "Holy shit, 'Lex...that was _so_ good..." Alex gasped for breath and shuddered in pleasure before raising his head and kissing his boyfriend deeply. Cyrus moaned again and slowly pulled out of his lovers body, carefully removing the condom and tossing it into the small trash can that he strategically brought next to the bed prior to their lovemaking, and then rolled onto his back next to Alex. "How do you feel?"

"Like a truck just drove through my ass," Alex panted out, turning his head to look at Cyrus.

"I'm not _that_ big!"

"Big enough. But you're right, it was really good. I love having you inside of me."

"Did you cum?"

Alex looked down at his wilting erection. "Nah, but it's fine."

"Well...but that wouldn't be very fair, now, would it?" Cyrus grinned like the Cheshire Cat as he sat up and started to kiss Alex's chest and made his way down his stomach. "Gotta keep my baby happy at the happiest place on Earth, after all." He looked up at him and wagged his eyebrows.

"The others are probably wondering where we are....we should get down there."

"Oh, we have time. This won't take very long."

"Cy, you don't have to...oh....oh my God...okay, I'm not gonna say no to that....I....oh....oh, holy shit, how are you.... _and_ my balls?!"

 

* * *

 

Zach and Tony looked back at their friends.

"Um. They said they wanted to...explore the hotel. They'll join us in a little while," Zach explained.

"You mean they're having sex," Sheri grinned.

Tony snickered and took a drink. "Well, we were going to be gentlemen about it, but yes. They are."

"They asked for the room for a little while...which is to say, Cyrus asked for the room," Zach explained.

"I swear. Clay likes to say that Justin is the horniest person he knows, but he obviously hasn't been around or talked to the two of them enough," Jess laughed. "Okay, Zaccy. Speaking of sex. How is it that you're still single? I always feel bad when we do things together and we're paired off but you aren't!"

"Uh..."

"That's a good question," Tony added. "Dempsey. C'mon, good looking, great athlete, nice guy. We can set you up or something, you know?"

"I tried that already. Remember his Prom date?"

Zach's eyes darted back and forth. "Uh..."

"Anne!" Sheri nodded, remembering. "What happened with that, Zach? Just not your type?"

"Guys. Okay...so. Yes. There's....someone. Maybe! Possibly? I just...I know I like her. A lot."

"Why didn't you bring her, man?" Tony asked. "Only fair after all. Or could she not afford it?"

"No," Zach shook his head, "it's...she just had..a medical procedure. She's still recovering."

"Oh, no. Nothing serious I hope?" Jess asked.

"I mean...sort of? But she's all right. Promise."

"So when do we get to meet her?" Sheri smiled.

"Uh..."

"When do we get to meet who?" Clay had now come over and joined his friends, stepping into the water. "Oh, wow, this feels amazing...that drench bucket thing was cold."

Sheri waded over and snuggled next to her boyfriend. "Jess asked why Zach is still single, Zach might not be, and apparently has a secret crush in his life. Oh, and Alex and Cy are having wild sex right now. There, all caught up."

"Really! When do we get to meet...wait...what about Cyrus and Alex?"

"They're probably fucking," Justin had come over also and gotten into the whirlpool and only caught the last part of the conversation. As he settled in with a sigh, the others simply looked at him. "What?"

"No one can accuse you of not being blunt, can they, Jensen?" Tony asked.

"What can I say, part of my charm."

"Zach has a secret girlfriend," Clay explained to his brother.

"Dude! Hey, that's awesome! Why isn't she here? Who is it, anyone we know?"

Late afternoon was slowly becoming a perfect California evening as Alex and Cyrus came into the water park area and joined their friends.

"Hey, you okay there, Standall?" Justin said to his Alex as he stepped into the whirlpool carefully.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, no reason. Just thought you were limping a little more than usual is all," Justin grinned, while Alex blushed, Clay groaned, and Cyrus smirked. "Your buddy here, treetop, has a secret girlfriend."

Alex hissed a little as he settled into the hot water and Cyrus stepped in next to him. "Secret...Zach?"

"Guys...I just..it's...look, I want to talk this over with her first before anything is official. Okay? And that includes asking her if it's all right that you all know. Because...you know her."

The other seven looked at each other in shock, with Alex looking a little more stunned than the rest, owing to the fact that his best friend and confidant apparently was unable to talk to him about any of this. He had been kept in the dark as much as the others, and while trying hard not to show it, was feeling a little hurt right now. Sensing that he was going to be bombarded with further queries or guesses as to who it was it was talking about, Zach raised both hands. "That's all I'm saying for right now. Look...when we get back to town, let me talk to her and we'll take it from there, okay? She just...she wants her privacy respected for a little while. That's all."

The summer had suddenly become far more interesting for the Gang.

 

* * *

 

The following morning, the time had arrived at last. After presenting tickets and going through security, the Gang was in Disneyland, and right in the heart of Main Street, U.S.A., the first themed "land" inside the main entrance to the park.

"Okay," Clay explained as he stopped once they had walked in and looked down at his phone. "So, the itinerary I created for us is designed to make sure we get to see and do everything we want and maximize our time here. As long as we stick to it and not deviate from the plan, we'll be just fine. Now, this is Main Street, which is designed to recreate Walt Disney's hometown in Missour..." Looking up and straight ahead, he realized that no one was around him. "You all aren't even listening to me, are you?"

The others were instead huddled around Justin, who had quickly bought an old fashioned park map - as opposed to Clay, who had brought one up on his phone. "The Market House has Starbucks and breakfast sandwiches. Start there first?" he asked.

"Yes, please. I'm starving," Alex nodded in agreement.

"I feel a _little_ bad patronizing somewhere other than Monet's," Sheri said, "but coffee and food does sound really, really good."

Sighing, Clay turned and walked back to join them. "Actually, the Market House was the first place on my itinerary. That's why I wanted everyone up early and ready to go."

"Well, why didn't you say so, bro?"

"I....just did?"

Tony took charge, as usual, and started walking in the direction of the restaurant. "Let's go people. First we eat, then everything else." The others began to follow along, and Clay brought up the menu on his phone to look at with his brother.

"Bacon, Gouda and egg....what's Gouda?"

"It's cheese, Tiger," Jess laughed from just behind them.

"There's a cheese called Gouda? I thought that was the warrior woman person in our comics?"

Clay rolled his eyes. "That's _Gudra_ and she's a Valkyrie, JJ. See, this is why you're so interesting in the kitchen."

"I mean well, though!"

Once breakfast was eaten, and as coffee being drunk and enjoyed, Clay tried again. "All right. So, if we go clockwise, we'll start out in Adventureland. The attractions there are pretty low-key, so our we won't have to worry about food coming back up and all over each oth...what? What is it?" The others were staring at him.

"Clay, did you seriously plan out this trip in such a way as to avoid throwing up?" Zach asked for the others.

"I mean....kinda? And it makes sense, we don't want to eat and go right onto Space Mountain, do we?"

"Makes room for more food, though. Dude, there's so much stuff here I want to try!"

Now, everyone looked to Justin.

"What? Oh, come on!" He pointed at Clay. "He ate Doritos with chocolate pudding, but me eating and then going on rides is gross?"

"In my defense, I was high, thank you very much. _Anyway_. Some of the classic attractions are there, like Jungle Cruise and the Tiki Room. After that, I figured we could 'everyone for themselves' for a little bit, meet up for lunch, and then go on different rides or whatever together. And we do have tomorrow, too, don't forget."

Cyrus nodded. "Okay, see, now that I agree with. Good plan, Scooby Dad."

"Thank you."

"So what are we waiting for?" Justin finished off his coffee and stood up. "We're in..." he paused and looked around, catching himself before he continued, and noticing that several families were nearby, censored himself. "We're in freakin' Disneyland! Let's do this! Scooby Gang...assemble, or whatever!"

"Points for the Avengers reference," Clay smiled in agreement.

"I've had a front row seat to your nerdom for awhile now, I pick up things."

"Hey!"

Shaking his head, Tony also got up from his seat. "You two really are something else, you know that?"

"You like the comics and the movies just as much as I do. Admit it," Clay said to Justin as they walked towards the exit.

"Well, yeah," Justin agreed with a grin. "But how often do I reference stuff like you do?"

"I heard you humming the Harry Potter theme the other night while you were doing the dishes!"

"So? I like the music."

"And you asked me all about the history of the Avengers when we watched it!"

"Clay, can we argue about this back at home? Oh, speaking of Marvel, they have all kinds of merch here!"

"We should get shirts!"

"Totally!"

Jess and Sheri looked at each other. "Twelve year olds," they said simultaneously.

 

* * *

 

As Clay had suggested, the attractions in Adventureland were low key enough that everyone's food could settle and still have fun. Evoking a combination of 1930s to 1950s era exotic adventure, along with a dash of the tiki craze of the middle of the previous century, the rides here were a hallmark of not only this park, but just about every other Disney property. Justin took it all in with the wonder and delight of anyone making their first visit, much to the amusement and genuine happiness of his friends. While others his age might conclude that these rides were boring and lacking thrill, he didn't mind any of it at all. He laughed along with the ad-libbed narration by the cast member "guiding" the Jungle Cruise tour; he hummed along with the classic theme of the Enchanted Tiki Room; he smiled while watching kids romp through Tarzan's Treehouse. By the time they made it to the Indiana Jones Adventure, Clay determined that enough time had passed and it was safe to go on an actual thrill ride, and after a short wait in line they accompanied the famed archaeologist on a turbulent quest through the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. 

Justin enjoyed every second, and after it ended, it was time for the first of several special things Clay had planned for his brother. While the others found some benches and took a break, he led Justin over to a refreshment stand called The Tropical Hideaway.

"Okay, so you can't come to Disney and not try Dole Whip," he explained as they took their place in line.

"What's that?"

"Only a little slice of heaven on Earth. You'll see." He ordered two and handed one over. "Eat it slow....remember the gelato? Brain freeze and all that?"

"Is this ice cream or something? Little early in the day, no?"

"Just try it."

Justin dipped his spoon into the frozen treat, and after tasting, realized why everyone loves it and it has a cult following. "Oh....oh, holy shit," he muttered before taking another spoonful. "This is amazing!"

"Told you. But...Justin, slow down...sorta hide here with me so the others don't see us, I don't want them to....Justin, for real, slow it down, dude...I don't want them to see us and get all upset that we went to get it by ourselves or whatever. JJ, really, no one's coming to take it from you, I promise."

Two spoonfuls remaining, and Justin hissed in pain, closing his eyes tightly and making a face. "Ow."

"I tried to warn you," Clay laughed. "One of these days you're going to listen to me!"

"Yeah, yeah...you were right. My God, though...how come you can't get this everywhere? I'd eat one every day!"

"I know, right? You having fun so far? I know some of those rides weren't super exciting or whatever."

Justin rubbed his forehead before finishing off his snack. "Bro, are you kidding? I don't care, I'm just happy I'm here with you! Hey, you think it'd be cool to take some pictures with the characters or whatever? Mom and Dad would probably love it."

"Yeah they would," Clay agreed. "Can't come to Disney and not get a picture with Mickey or whomever. They'll be around, no worries. Just, try not to shove little kids out of the way or whatever. You'll probably see some of the princesses also."

"I'd better be careful there, don't wanna make Jess jealous or anything."

"Probably not, no."

While they had agreed to split up for a couple of hours, they just as readily agreed that New Orleans Square and two more classic attractions - the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean - couldn't be missed and would be more fun if they all went together. Following that, they paired off in different directions.

 

* * *

 

"You're joking."

"Nope. Dead serious," Zach grinned at Tony.

"You really want to go on this."

"Sure! Why not? Besides, Clay said it's one of the classic rides. We can't pass it up."

Shaking his head and sighing, Tony walked ahead towards It's a Small World. "Are you sure you're even going to fit in the car?"

"I'll fold my legs up and in if I have to."

 

* * *

 

"Your mom is going to love this."

Sheri and Clay looked at the picture that was taken of them on Splash Mountain. While Sheri was smiling and laughing in it, Clay's eyes and mouth were opened wide in a panic as the "log" began to make it's final drop.

"Can we not, though? Like...we're going to have so many pictures, and.."

"Nope. She's getting this one, mister. Just be glad I don't have copies made!"

"Now that's something I'd expect to hear from Justin! Hey, speaking of which, let's double back to Main Street. There's something I need to buy for him, and I need your help hiding it until we get home."

 

* * *

 

"Really?"

"Yes!" Justin grinned at Jess as he took her hand and walked a little faster. "C'mon, let's be kids for a little while!"

"I can't argue with that," she laughed. "I love seeing you so happy like this!"

How could one not be, when one was about to take a ride on King Arthur's Carousel, followed up by the Mad Tea Party.

 

* * *

 

Alex sat down on a bench and stretched out his leg after going on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride with Cyrus. "Maybe my mother was right and I should've brought my cane in. Sorry if I'm slowing us down or whatever."

Cyrus sat down next to him. "Hey, now. No, you're not. Better this than running through here, I don't mind us taking our time at all. Having fun?"

Alex turned to his boyfriend and smiled, nodding his head.

"Okay...that seemed a little halfhearted."

"What?"

"For real, you're having fun?"

"Cy, of course I am," Alex laughed. "Promise. I'm sorry, it's just....Zach. You know? Like, why would he keep something like that from me? I guess it just bugs me is all. But I really am enjoying myself."

"Well, sometimes we have to keep secrets. You should know about that more than most."

"Yeah, that's fair. I'll talk to him when we get back."

"Cool. Okay, so what's next? "

"The submarine thing with Nemo?"

"Awesome!"

 

* * *

 

Lunch was eaten, and a few rides gone on together and shows watched as a group afterwards. There was one ride, though, that Clay was resisting, and as he was wont to do, Justin slowly began to wear him down.

"No."

"Yes!"

"Can't we just go back to the Star Wars thing?"

"We went there twice. C'mon, it won't be that bad. You can even hold my hand if you want."

"I am _not_ holding your hand!"

"Clay."

"Justin."

"Dude, come one! You can't regret the things you don't try!"

Clay tilted his head a little as he looked at his brother. "Why does that sound like song lyrics? I kinda like that..."

"Dude, don't change the subject. Look, it won't be that scary. Come on. Pleeeeaaaase?" Justin made puppy dog eyes, his new secret weapon when it came to all things Clay.

Sighing Clay shook his head. "All right. Fine. Let's go."

"Yes!" Justin fist pumped as they walked in the direction of Space Mountain.

 

* * *

 

The day in the park was long enough that the Gang had dinner there, and then gathered back at Main Street. Clay had found the perfect spot for them, staking out a claim with hundreds of other park guests along the streets as it neared nine o'clock.

"We're just gonna watch a parade?" Justin asked.

"Oh. It's not just any parade," Clay grinned as a musical fanfare came over the speakers, followed up by the famous introduction:

**_Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Disneyland proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination. In thousands of sparkling lights, and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds: the Main Street Electrical Parade!_ **

The lights dimmed as the crowd cheered and clapped. And so to the underlying theme of "Baroque Hoedown," what is arguably Disney's most beloved attraction began, with floats and cast members covered in electronically controlled lights going past and entertaining guests to a soundtrack triggered by radio control along key areas of the parade route. Justin couldn't help but get goose bumps once it began, and the grin never left his face while Casey Junior, Pete's Dragon, a centipede and snails (one of whom came up in front of Justin to "talk" to him), Alice, fairies, and so many others went past. Clay wrapped his arms around Sheri from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder as he rocked her from side to side to the music.

As anyone who has seen the parade will tell you, there's no better way to end a day at Disney than that.

 

* * *

 

The following day would be spent at Disney California Adventure, and several other rides and attractions. Before that, however, a trip was made to the Paradise Pier Hotel and the breakfast that Clay had planned especially for his brother.

The PCH Grill served buffet style, and as Justin piled his plate he anxiously scanned the restaurant.

"We're all here. You forget where we sat or something, dude?" Cyrus asked from behind him.

"Huh? Oh, no...just, looking around is all."

"For what?"

"Um...nothing. Just wanted to look at everything."

"Uh huh," Cy grinned knowingly.

"What?"

"Nothing, man. Keep it moving, I need bacon in my life."

As they ate, Justin continued to look around. Donald Duck came over, as did Minnie Mouse, and pictures were taken as the characters and the Gang hammed it up some. Then finally - he must have been with a large table full of kids - he had arrived.

"Oh, yes," Justin said to himself as he got to his feet, and with a big smile and outstretched arms, greeted Stitch as he came over to their table, and fell into Justin's embrace. The others stopped eating and watched happily, most of all Clay, who stood up and began to take pictures with his phone. As they others rose from their chairs and gathered to take their turn with Stitch, Justin smiled and wiped at his eyes.

"You okay?" Clay asked.

Justin nodded and replied in a shaky voice. "Yeah...yeah, I'm good. You get some good pics?"

"Lots."

"Awesome. Hey...I-I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick, be right back..."

As he watched Justin walk off quickly, Clay thought to himself that he had bought the perfect gift for his brother.

 

* * *

 

He wanted to wait, originally, to give it to him once they were back in Crestmont. Surprise him. But, seeing as how it was the last night of their trip, Clay figured it would be an appropriate ending to the weekend, and something memorable he could share with Justin. The Gang decided on one last evening at the pool area, and they had gone downstairs already, Clay whispering to Jess and Sheri that he would be down in a few minutes, he would come down with Justin who was in the bathroom changing. So, he arranged the toy on the bed. It would be the first thing his brother would see once he came out and into the room, and then sat on his own bed and waited.

Justin walked out of the bathroom, towel slung over his shoulder, and saw Clay first.

"Dude, why are you still....up....here...."

He walked over slowly to the bed. He pulled the towel down and dropped it on the bed, and picked up the plush Stitch. Lower lip quivering, he looked at it and slowly brought it to his body, hugging it with a happy sigh while lowering his head and closing his eyes.

"Ohana," Clay said. "Ohana means family. Family means-"

"Nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten," Justin finished as tears streamed down his cheeks, as he continued to hug the toy.

"That's right."

"I...I love it. Him. Thank you."

"I knew would, JJ."

"When I was a little boy, for my sixth birthday...Amber bought me the movie. On tape...we couldn't afford....we didn't have DVD then. I must have watched it every day for like a year until I wore it out. I loved it. Loved him. I always...I always wanted a stuffed one."

Clay nodded and smiled.

"Do you remember the part where he goes....he's in the woods or the rain forest or whatever? And he's looking at the book with the ducks and he says he's lost?"

"Of course."

"When I was on the streets, last year...before you saved me....when I did those things I didn't want to do but had to..." Justin was full on crying now as Clay quickly got to his feet. "All I could think....k-kept thinking of that part....how that was me...how lost I was...."

"Hey...Justin," Clay walked over to soothe his brother, embracing him. "Hey...it's okay. You're not lost anymore. And you never will be, ever again. You're home."

Justin nodded and held Stitch closer to him as he cried. "Thank you. For him, for everything. I love you. So fucking much."

Hugging his brother, Stitch in between them, Clay sighed and brought his hand up, caressing the back of Justin's neck. He had guessed right - Justin _was_ Stitch, and not for the reason he originally thought. At first, he made the connection because of his mischievous nature, and the transformation the character made from someone destructive to far more caring and loving. No, it was the connection of someone feeling completely out of place in the world and that had tried so hard to be what he was programmed to be, something he really wasn't, and who found love and unconditional acceptance. That, at the end of it all, was who Stitch really was, and who as it turns out Justin was as well. Little wonder, then, that this little blue furry creature with the funny ears was so endearing to Justin, who had for the first seventeen years of his life found himself in situations not of his making and doing things that, deep down, repulsed him and did not want to do. He identified with Stitch, and saw a reflection of himself, who he once was and who he was now trying so hard to be.

"I love you too, big brother," Clay said quietly. "Ohana."

"Ohana," Justin whispered back, leaning into Clay some. "Thanks again, little brother."

"But if you start calling me Lilo, this is over."

Justin laughed and pulled out of the hug, wiping the tears from his face. Giving one more hug to Stitch, he placed him back on the bed and picked his towel back up. Throwing an appreciate arm around his brother, they walked to the door to head downstairs, where their friends, a large swimming pool, and a whirlpool awaited them and their last night of a mini-vacation.

There was even a water bucket.

And Clay was trying to figure out how to get Justin to stand under it....

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *peeks head around the corner*
> 
> Anybody out there?
> 
> Oh, hi!! Welcome back, everyone!!!!
> 
> Okay, so if you follow Ye Writer over at Tumblr, (aptly titled 'The Maze of Moments'), then you know where I've been for the last month or so. I won't rehash all the details - I'll just say, once again, that laryngitis sucks, it takes a lot out of you, and it was a busy month!
> 
> I've never been to Disneyland - only Disney World - so for those of you that have, I hope I got all the details right. I did take some creative liberty with the Main Street Electrical Parade, as it wasn't at the park in 2018 but did make a return appearance this summer apparently.
> 
> Lots and lots of little hidden details in this chapter of some things coming up, and even an Easter egg or two here and there. Did you find them all?
> 
> I still need to get my thoughts up regarding Season Three (!!!!), but I did make a post about how it would/would not impact Maze. However, I will say that I am slowly putting all the little pieces together and figuring it out, and I think you're really going to enjoy how I'm going to tie it together with what I have planned and what you have seen to come so far!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading this chapter - I hope you liked it, and I look forward to your comments and feedback! I'm sorry it took my so long to make my return, but I am here and there's lots ahead! Stanley Keyworth comes back in our next chapter!
> 
> So stay tuned, Mazers! Clay and Stitch...er, Justin....will be back very soon! Thank you again, and take care!


	5. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Clay learns about some things that Sheri and Justin have been keeping from him....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References to sexual assault and rape, as detailed in '13 Reasons Why'

 

 

 

_I can imagine the moment_  
_Breaking out through the silence_  
_All the things that we both might say_  
_And the heart, it will not be denied_  
_'Til we're both on the same damn side_  
_All the barriers blown away_

    -from "Come Talk to Me," by Peter Gabriel

 

 

 

Clay had settled back on the now familiar leather couch, Lulu snuggled up next to his leg with a happy sigh as she got more comfortable and closed her eyes. Even therapy dogs knew the benefit of a good nap every once and awhile, after all. As he looked down and pet her gently, Stanley Keyworth stirred cream into his coffee mug over at the small table where his Kureig was located.

"So. Disneyland, huh? I haven't been in years. It's probably changed a lot since the 90s," he said, popping in a new pod to make a cup for his patient. Black. That was how Clay preferred it, no cream or sweetener for him.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Did you have a good time?"

"Uh huh."

"All right, well, that didn't sound too sure. Did you or didn't you?"

"Huh?"

"The trip, Clay. Did you have a good time or not?"

Clay looked up. "Oh. Yeah, no, it was great, yeah. I really did have fun, we had a great time. I got to show Justin a lot and do stuff with him, I really liked that. He's never had a real vacation before." Clay reached up to take the coffee from Stanley, who then sat in his chair adjacent to the table in front of the couch. "And it was good to get out of town for a little while, you know?"

Stanley nodded. "I do know. Changing our surroundings, even for just a couple of days, can be a major boost to our mental health. But why am I sensing that something else is going on here?"

"You're the doctor," Clay shrugged.

"Cute."

"It's just...I dunno. I guess it's fine," Clay blew on the hot coffee before taking a sip.

"Really? Nothing else happened?"

Stanley's question was answered with a shrug and Clay looking down at the mug in his hands.

"Look, it's your hour. We can talk about this, not talk about this, I can sit here and drink my coffee and get my Sudoku book. Either way I'm getting paid, so..."

"How much do you get paid?" Clay asked, looking up.

"Is that important?"

"I'm just curious."

"Two hundred fifty an hour."

"Jesus."

"Yeah. It isn't cheap. I give your Dad a discount because he's a colleague, if it makes you feel any better."

"Oh."

"Is that's what bothering you? How much this costs?"

Clay shook his head and looked down at Lulu.

"C'mon, you've made so much progress in just a couple of months already that-"

"Why do people keep secrets?" Clay interrupted.

Stanley shifted in his chair a little. At least the direction this was headed in had finally been revealed. "Because they want to. Or they have to. You tell me, you've kept secrets yourself. Justin. Everything with Hannah and the tapes. Polaroids. You kept a lot from your parents and your friends last year."

"I...I did all that because I...it was right, you know? Or at least I thought it was. I kept Justin a secret at first because I figured he would get Jess to testify, but...it became other reasons."

"And what were those?" Stanley was now making some notes on the yellow legal pad in his lap.

"Because I always wanted a brother. And he needed help, needed a family."

"Secrets are difficult things to keep. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, I know. And I guess I get it, to a point. Keeping secrets. Like - Alex. I told you about him? It took him awhile to come out to everyone, including his parents. That's difficult for people in the LGBT community."

"It is," Stanley agreed. "People come out when they're ready and feel safe in doing so. It's a huge step for them."

Nodding, Clay continued. "And....okay, so, Tyler. Why did he keep it secret that Monty had sexually assaulted him? If we'd known, we could've helped him earlier."

"Again, that's a difficult thing to talk about, because of the shame involved. Assault, rape....those are traumatic experiences, and while it's hard for a female victim to talk about it, it can be just as if not more when it's a male victim, owing to societal notions of masculinity, real or imagined. Clay..."

"Right, I get that. But...what if you're close to someone. Like, in a relationship close.....or, family. And you promised to be open with each other and not hold anything back, be totally honest. Especially after I started coming here, and I promised that I'd always tell them things, like if I was having a bad day? Like...I don't want to be a burden on anyone, I don't. It's hard for me to admit I need help, you know that. But...I'm trying. So, why can't people do that with me? Did she think she couldn't trust me, or that I wouldn't be able to, like, cope with it? I just don't get it, I love Sheri and she didn't want to tell me! Did I do something wrong? Or...Justin. I...I want him to tell me things so I can help him as much as he does for me, he shouldn't feel like he needs to keep shit from me!"

"Clay," Stanley said gently as he put his coffee cup down on the table. "Kiddo. What happened?"

"Why did Sheri keep from me that she'd been raped in juvenile detention? Or that Justin was molested when he was a little boy, why wouldn't they tell me sooner? I...I don't understand..."

"So....this is what happened. And what's bothering you. They told you."

Clay nodded in reply, as Lulu raised her head, and noticing his distress, crawled up onto his lap. Blinking rapidly, he struggled to hold back tears.

"Okay, then. Well. Now we're getting somewhere."

"I....I just wish I could've done something for them..."

"Clay. What could you have done? Remember about fixing people, or situations? You didn't even know Justin at the time, and Sheri was in juvenile detention. What, you want to build a time machine now, too?"

"No! I just..."

"What?"

"I feel bad about this! Okay? I feel really bad about this. Just let me feel bad about this!"

"Okay. Listen. I feel bad about it, too."

"Why do things have to happen to people? People we love? It isn't fair!"

"You're right. It's not fair. Not at all."

 

* * *

 

It was the Wednesday after the Gang had returned to Disneyland, and on this afternoon, Clay had agreed to meet Sheri at Monet's, ostensibly to assist her with an assignment for her U.S. History class that she was making up in summer school. The second session had begun two days earlier, so the trip to Anaheim was a sort of last hurrah of freedom for her before classwork began. As she sat and waited, looking out the broad windows of the coffeehouse, she thought back to what Jess has said that evening in the whirlpool:

_"...but it's not fair to you, either, let alone your relationship."_

And she was right. Both Clay and Justin deserved to know what had happened to her during her stay in juvenile detention, which is why she was in this same spot two days earlier and met with her friends to tell Justin first. He was sympathetic and understanding, knowing all too well what it had been like in there and what he had also experienced during his own incarceration. He had opened up about it in hushed tones, so that the other customers within earshot would not hear, and so that Sheri would also understand why he was going to come to some sessions with Jessica. Now all that was left was to tell Clay.

Easier said than done.

"Do you want us to be there? Moral support and all that?" Justin asked.

"No," Sheri shook her head in reply. "Let me do this one by myself, okay? If he sees all three of us here, he'll jump to conclusions right away and figure out something is wrong. Which there is."

"Honey...if you need us, you call us, okay?" Jess reached over and took her friends hands into her own. "It'll be all right. He's going to get upset...it's Clay. But he'll understand."

Sheri was brought out of her thoughts by Clay pulling out a chair across from her and sitting down, a big smile on his face. "Hi, Princess!"

"Hey there, Handsome Guy," she smiled back.

"Okay! So, U.S. History. We got this. I got Justin through it, in spite of himself, so you and me? No sweat, history is fun. What's your homework over? It's the class that picks up after the Civil War, right?"

"Clay. We...I need to talk to you about something. Tell you something."

Clay frowned. "Okay. Everything all right?"

"No. Well...it is now. But it wasn't. And you need to know."

"Sheri...what happened? What is it?"

She took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, then slowly exhaled. "When I was in juvenile detention....I was raped."

The color drained from Clay's face and his lips parted slowly.

"There was a male guard. He...came into our cell one night. He..."

"Don't," Clay whispered. His hands started to shake and he quickly took them off of the table and placed them in his lap. "I...the details, no...I...Sheri?"

"The girl I shared the cell with told me after that it happened to most of the girls in there, this one guard."

Blinking rapidly, Clay shook his head. "Why....oh God, I'm so sorry.....Sheri...."

"Clay. It's all right. I'm all right. Well...not _all right_ but I'm getting better. We've filed charges, it's going through the system. I'm going to counseling, the same one as Jessica."

"How...how can you....when we have...." Clay now found himself in the same position Justin was just a few weeks earlier, wondering and doubting himself. "Sheri...why didn't you tell me sooner? Did...did you not trust me?"

"Please don't be mad at me, of course I trust you. I love you, you know that."

"No, I...I do know that, I love you too! But...oh my God...Sheri..."

"It's...this is so difficult, you know? I've wanted to for such a long time now, but I didn't know how! But since Justin is going to go to meetings with Jess sometimes..."

"He...he's what?"

"Because of what happened to Jess? And him? Oh...Jesus, you didn't know, did you?"

Clay shook his head and started to breathe more rapidly, a wave of nausea coming up from the bottom of his stomach and racing upwards towards his throat. Pushing himself back from the table quickly, he ran in the direction of the men's room.

 

* * *

 

"What're you doing out here? C'mon, dinner's cooking, Dad took my suggestion and we're doing a taco bar."

Justin walked into the backyard and saw that his brother was sitting on one of the patio benches, staring straight ahead at nothing.

"Yo, Clay? You sleeping with your eyes open or something?"

 

_Clay. Talk to him. You know you need to._

Yeah.

_It's going to be hard, I get it. But..._

Yeah, okay! I know, I get it. Fuck.

_Clay..._

Look, the last thing I need right now is to have it out with my Psyche!

_Okay...._

 

"You knew. You knew and you didn't tell me," he said quietly.

_Uh oh. Shit,_ Justin thought to himself. _  
_

"Clay...."

"She told you before me. You knew about it before I did."

Sighing, Justin walked over and sat next to a distraught Clay. "She told me two days ago. Monday afternoon."

"Because you're going to start going to meetings. With them." His voice remained low and monotone.

"That's right."

"Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Clay, man...come on, you know better than that."

"Do I?!" Clay turned his head and looked at Justin, a combination of sadness and fury in his eyes. "Do I, Justin? Aren't you all the ones who keep saying that I should tell you all when I'm having a bad day or struggling or whatever the fuck? And I do! Or I'm trying to!"

"Hey, listen. It wasn't my place to tell you. Remember when I confessed to you out here that I had slept with Jessica while she was still seeing Alex, before he came out? Did you go running to tell him what had happened or what we talked about?"

Turning his head back to look out at the yard, Clay sighed. "No."

"Okay, then. Look, bro...she had to tell you in her own way..."

"But why _you_ first!" Clay stood up and walked into the yard, crossing his arms. "Why didn't she tell _me_? I'm the one going out with her!"

Now it was Justin's turn to sigh as he got up and joined his brother. "Maybe she felt like...I dunno, if she told me first it would make it easier somehow. Or maybe because I'd been in juvie also she figured I'd get it. Maybe it's because of what happened with Jess, or with what happened to me."

Looking down at the grass, Clay bit his lower lip. "She mentioned something about that. You told her about...what you had to do in there."

"And some other things. Things I haven't told you...yet."

Raising his head, Clay turned his body and looked at Justin. "Yet? There's...what? There's more?"

"Clay. Stuff...happened to me in there. And on the streets, before you saved me. Remember I said I did things that I didn't want to do? Clay...there were times...I was....forced. I did what I had to do to survive, you know that. But there were times guys in there, or men on the streets....they wanted shit I wasn't comfortable doing, but they...they did it anyway. Forced me."

"Oh my God...JJ....I'm...I'm sorry...."

"There's....Clay, there's more. I didn't want to tell you at all, but since I'm going with them. When I was a little boy...one of Amber's boyfriends. He..."

"Stop! No...Jesus...why? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Clay, this isn't easy to talk about."

As Clay reached up to wipe his eyes, Justin came over to put a hand on his brother's shoulder, but Clay pulled it back. "Don't." He turned and walked away, in the direction of the driveway and his car.

"Hey...Clay, c'mon. Where are you going."

"Just...out. I'm not hungry," he called over his shoulder.

 

* * *

 

"....and I came back later that night. I texted Mom and Dad, told them I was with Tony."

Stanley pushed over a box of tissues. "But you weren't with Tony."

"No," Clay shook his head and took one, blowing his nose loudly and wiping his upper lip. "I went and drove around. I got back after everyone had gone to bed. I think Justin looked in on me in the middle of the night."

"He's worried about you. Natural enough."

"I guess."

"So. Now you know."

"Yeah."

"Let me ask you a question. If you had known all of this earlier, if Sheri had told you on your first date what had happened, or if Justin had opened up about everything in his past - which, you know, is difficult for him to do - would it had made a difference?"

Clay looked up. "I-I'm not sure what you mean."

"Whether you knew then, right away, compared to now. Would it change anything? You would have felt badly about it then, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And you'd still want to be there for them, like you want to now, right?"

"Well...yeah."

"Okay, then. Clay, the important thing is that they _told_ you. Neither one of them had to, they could have gone to these meetings together and not said anything about it. But, they chose not to. They revealed something devastating and very important to you. And for as much as you can't fix everything and everyone, they really do need you now. I think they did what they thought was right, even if it meant hurting your feelings in the process. But, they did tell you, Clay."

Clay sat there in silence, staring at his hands resting on top of Lulu.

"Clay?"

"What am I supposed to do now? And what if my friends are keeping other things from me?"

"Well. I think you should support and love Sheri and Justin unconditionally. And if the rest of your Gang is keeping something from you, it's most likely because they have their reasons to do so. Maybe they don't want to see you hurt. Secrets are a burden, but we all have them. Even you."

"Yeah."

 

* * *

 

 

Clay got up from the couch in his living room as Justin, Jessica and Sheri came in. After he left Stanley's office that afternoon, he sent a text to his brother:

 

**Dumbass:** _Hey. When you all are done with the session today. Bring Jess and Sheri over. Need to talk to you all._

**Shithead:** _Yeah, ok. You alright?_

**Dumbass:** _Honestly? I'm not sure. Working through it though._

 

Seeing Sheri first, he walked over to her and took her in his arms, resting his head on her shoulder. "I love you so much, and I'm so sorry that happened to you. Whatever you need...to talk, space, whatever...you let me know. Even if you think it'll hurt me. I may not like it...but I'll get it. Okay?" he said to her.

Closing her eyes, Sheri nodded. "Okay...I love you too, Clay."

Next, it was Jess' turn, and her eyes went a little wide as she was hugged by Clay. "You make Justin happy, and that means everything to me. I know I pushed you to do things you weren't comfortable doing, and I'm so sorry I did that. I love you and I'm glad you're my friend, and I'm here for you, too."

"That's...thank you, Clay. I-I love you, too," she replied, a little surprised.

Finally, it was Justin, who got a slightly more aggressive hug, being from another guy and all. "You should never feel like you can't tell me something. I'm so sorry you had to go through what you did, and that happened to you. I'm always here to listen to my big brother, and I would do anything for you. _Anything_. I love you. Very much."

"I love you, too, little bro. And...same. Anything."

Pulling back from Justin, Clay looked to his friends and took a deep breath. Then, indicating they should come into the living room and sit down. Jess and Sheri took the couch, Justin on the arm. Across from them, Clay sat in a chair.

"Okay. So...I'm sorry I reacted badly yesterday. What you told me, JJ, Sheri...it....well, I'm still processing it. But, I'm glad you did tell me. So, thank you. For trusting me. Anyway. I really do want to be here for you, all three of you. I may not always understand, but...I promise I'll listen. And if there's something you can't tell me right away, or ever...?" He paused and took another breath. "I'll...try to understand. Is that...like, is that okay?"

His three friends looked at one another and then back to Clay, nodding affirmatively.

Clay nodded back.

"Okay. So. Talk to me."

"What about?" Justin asked.

"Whatever you feel like talking to me about. Tell me about your session. Just...it's okay, guys, really."

Clay did his little half-smile.

"Just talk to me."

* * *

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Two chapters in one week?!
> 
> Hi Mazers, and welcome back! 
> 
> After hinting at it in some dialogue in the previous chapter, it was time that Clay find out what had happened to Sheri while she was in juvenile detention. And, following up on what was revealed in Season Three, this created the perfect opportunity for Justin to start telling Clay some more about his own past and some of the things that happened to him. These things are hard to open up about, and I hope I did this some justice here in the way I portrayed it. Needless to say, we'll be revisiting this in a later chapter or two down the road, but Clay needs to keep working through everything and process it - just as much as Sheri and Justin do.
> 
> This also gave me the opportunity to create a little homage to some things in Season Three in the ending portion of the chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this one, and as always I look forward to your comments and feedback! Coming up next, more secrets revealed - who, exactly, is Zach dating, or thinking about dating? What does Alex think about a secret like this being kept from him? We've got some first time appearances (plural?! why, yes!) of characters who have yet to show up in the Mazeverse in our next chapter! Ye Writer loves to keep you all on your toes and loves ya!
> 
> So, stay tuned! Clay and Justin will return, very soon! Thanks for reading, and take care!


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